A powerful explosion tore through the Dera Ismail Khan district in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing approximately 11 people and injuring more than 30 others in the latest act of militant violence to strike the country. Local emergency services officials said the death toll could rise, as several of the injured remain in critical condition.
According to the Associated Press, police and rescue workers determined that the blast was a suicide attack, carried out when an assailant detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a checkpoint in the area. Authorities have yet to release full details of the incident, including the exact target and the extent of the damage caused.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the bombing, according to AP. In a statement released after the attack, the group said it was responsible for the explosion, though it did not provide further justification or details regarding the operation.
Emergency responders transported the wounded to nearby hospitals, where medical staff are treating those with serious injuries. A provincial emergency services spokesperson confirmed to AP that several of the injured remain in critical condition. Visuals circulating on social media showed thick plumes of grey smoke rising from the site of the blast in the aftermath of the attack.
The bombing is the latest in a series of militant attacks to hit Pakistan, a country that has repeatedly grappled with insurgent violence in several of its regions. Discontent with state policies has fuelled armed resistance movements in some areas, with militant groups carrying out periodic attacks on security forces and government installations as part of a broader campaign against the state.