Eleven dead, several injured as suspected suicide bomb hits DI Khan checkpost

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/DI KHAN: A suspected suicide bombing struck the Aman Mela checkpost in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday,

A Rescue 1122 Draban Station team that reached the scene and began relief operations put the death toll at 11, including six police personnel, two customs officials, two women and a two-year-old child, and said 18 of the injured had so far been shifted to hospital. According to police, those injured included police personnel, customs officials and civilians, some of them critically, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.

According to sources, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) rammed into the checkpost on the DI Khan-Quetta Road at around 3:30-4pm, causing an explosion of extreme intensity, followed by an exchange of fire between security personnel and militants. The Central Police Office (CPO) said the blast struck a joint anti-smuggling checkpost, locally known as the Aman Check Post or Aman Mela, which is staffed by wildlife, excise and security personnel.

According to Reuters, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack, while the investigation remains in its preliminary stages.

Police, security forces, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Rescue 1122 teams reached the scene immediately after the blast was reported, the CPO said. Police and CTD personnel cordoned off the site and launched a search and clearance operation, which remained ongoing as authorities worked to collect evidence and determine the nature of the explosion.

The injured were being shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, and an emergency was declared at hospitals in the area to ensure timely care, police said. Four additional ambulances with staff were dispatched from DI Khan to the scene to ensure timely medical assistance, with police, CTD and Rescue teams engaged in relief operations, according to the CPO.

Heavy contingents of security forces reached the scene, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, sources and police said. Six Rescue 1122 ambulances, one fire vehicle and more than 25 personnel took part in relief operations at the scene, which remained ongoing as the situation continued to be monitored.

Kohat blast claims 23 lives

On September 19, eight militants were killed as police and security forces completed a 22-hour clearance operation at the old Kohat Police Lines on Saturday, the Central Police Office said, though security sources put the figure at seven. The operation followed a suicide attack on the Police Lines mosque on Friday that killed 23 people and injured 130, according to officials, after which militants infiltrated the compound, triggering a prolonged assault involving Elite Force commandos, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) teams and other security forces.

This is a developing story