Suicide Bombing in North Waziristan Kills 14 Pakistani Soldiers, Taliban-Affiliated Group Claims Responsibility

In one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security forces this year, a suicide car bomb ripped through a military convoy in the Khaddi area of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 14 soldiers and injuring more than two dozen others, including civilians. The attack took place on Saturday when a vehicle laden with explosives rammed directly into a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle belonging to the Pakistan Army’s bomb disposal unit.

The scale and precision of the attack suggest a high degree of planning and coordination. Initial reports from local authorities and military sources describe a massive blast, which not only destroyed the targeted MRAP but also damaged nearby vehicles in the convoy. Among the injured were civilians, including children, who were in the vicinity when the explosion occurred.

Responsibility for the bombing was quickly claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB) group, a faction linked to the Afghan Taliban. This group has long operated along the porous and volatile Afghanistan–Pakistan border and has been involved in several high-profile attacks in the tribal belt in recent years. The suicide bombing follows a recent increase in cross-border militant activity, raising new questions about Pakistan’s internal security and its efforts to deal with insurgent sanctuaries across the border.

The Pakistani military has not officially released the names of the deceased, but security operations in the region have been intensified. Checkpoints across North Waziristan have been sealed off, and a joint search operation involving intelligence personnel and quick reaction forces is underway to trace any surviving elements of the group behind the attack.

Eyewitnesses described the horrifying aftermath of the explosion. "It was like the ground shook," said a local resident from Khaddi. "We saw smoke, fire, and soldiers trying to pull out the wounded."

This isn’t the first time Pakistani forces have been targeted in this volatile region. Despite repeated military operations, including the well-known Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad, militant groups such as the HGB and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continue to pose a significant threat. These factions frequently take shelter in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces, exploiting the lack of border control and governance in those areas.

The Pakistani government has issued a strong condemnation of the attack, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism.” However, the increasing frequency of such incidents has led to criticism from opposition parties and analysts alike. They point to gaps in intelligence, policy failures in counterinsurgency, and a lack of coordination with Kabul as underlying causes of the persistent threat.

Meanwhile, the incident has also triggered concerns about regional stability. With Pakistan’s economy under severe pressure, dwindling foreign reserves, and ongoing negotiations with the IMF and World Bank, critics argue that continued military spending and internal conflict are unsustainable. They also highlight the cost to civilian life and regional development, as local populations in Waziristan and adjoining areas remain caught in the crossfire.

As rescue and recovery efforts continue, and as the wounded are airlifted to military hospitals in Bannu and Rawalpindi, a grim silence hangs over Khaddi — a stark reminder of the toll insurgency continues to exact on Pakistan’s soldiers and civilians alike.

With the HGB’s claim of responsibility, the attack has again underscored how deeply entangled Pakistan remains in the legacy of its militant past — and how fragile the peace along its western border truly is.