Attack leaves 13 soldiers dead and 24 wounded, including children and women

An attack shook the Mir Ali region, in the conflict-ridden district of North Waziristan, northwest of Pakistan, leaving 13 soldiers dead and at least 24 people injured , including 14 civilians , including women and children , local authorities confirmed to the EFE news agency.

The attack occurred on the morning of Saturday, June 28, while a curfew was in effect to allow the safe passage of military convoys. A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, causing a massive explosion that was heard several kilometers away.

"A suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a military convoy. Thirteen soldiers were killed and 24 other people, including 14 civilians, were injured," a local official told EFE on condition of anonymity.

The attack took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, one of the areas hardest hit by the resurgence of armed insurgency in recent years. The North Waziristan district, bordering Afghanistan, has been the scene of numerous attacks and clashes between security forces and insurgent groups.

The injured were rushed to local hospitals. Witnesses described scenes of panic and destruction; several nearby homes were damaged by the blast, and among the injured were children with injuries caused by broken glass and debris .

The attack was claimed by the Huzaifa Suicide Bombing Cell , a faction affiliated with the Aswad ul Harb group, which is in turn linked to the armed organization Hafiz Gul Bahadur , one of the branches of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) .

While the Pakistani military has not yet issued an official statement on the incident, security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search and seizure operation, citing the possibility of other insurgents in the vicinity.