What Led to the Death of 13 Soldiers in North Waziristan?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 13 soldiers were killed in a suicide attack.
- 29 others injured, including civilians.
- The attack was attributed to the Usud al-Harab organization.
- Immediate rescue operations were conducted.
- The security situation in the area is alarming.
Islamabad, June 28 (NationPress) In a tragic incident, 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 others were injured, among them 19 civilians, during a suicide bombing early Saturday morning in the Khadi area of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to security sources, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a mine-resistant Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit while a curfew was in place due to military operations in the vicinity. The intense explosion led to the loss of 13 military lives and inflicted injuries on 24 individuals, including 14 civilians.
Additionally, reports of indiscriminate gunfire have been confirmed, which left 19 civilians injured, including women and children.
Rescue efforts commenced promptly after the blast, with local authorities noting that the condition of several injured, particularly women and children, remains critical. There are fears that the casualty count may increase.
The Usud al-Harab organization, a faction linked to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group that is associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for this suicide attack.
This incident marks the deadliest assault in North Waziristan in recent months, intensifying concerns regarding the deteriorating security situation in the region.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army's media wing, has yet to issue a statement regarding the attack.
Reports indicate that security forces have sealed off the area and initiated a search operation.
In a related incident last month, a car bomb explosion in the Gulistan area of Qila Abdullah, located on the border of Pakistan's Balochistan province with Afghanistan, resulted in the deaths of at least four people and left over 20 others injured, with eight in critical condition.
The explosion occurred in the Jabbar commercial market along the Quetta–Chaman National Highway in Gulistan town, near the Pakistan Frontier Corps (FC) fort.
The powerful blast destroyed numerous shops and vehicles in the vicinity, and the walls of the FC fort suffered damage. Eyewitnesses reported that several market shops caught fire.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for this attack as well, with analysts suggesting coordinated efforts between the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the TTP, both of which have ramped up their assaults recently.
Simultaneously, the BLA has also escalated its attacks against security forces in the region.