North Waziristan [Pakistan], June 28 (ANI): Thirteen security personnel were martyred in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district on Saturday, carried out by Fitna-al-Khawarij, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), The Dawn reported.

According to the military's media wing, a vehicle-borne suicide attacker targeted a security convoy in the district's Mir Ali area before being intercepted by the convoy's lead vehicle. 'In their desperation, an explosive-laden vehicle was rammed by the Kharijis into one of the vehicles of the leading group,' the ISPR stated.

'Thirteen brave sons of [the] soil embraced shahadat (martyrdom). [In] this tragic and barbaric incident, two children and a woman were also severely injured,' The Dawn further reported.

Earlier, a statement from the KP Chief Minister's Office confirmed that eight security personnel were martyred in the blast. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and expressed his condolences and prayers for the personnel.

'Security forces have made unprecedented sacrifices to establish peace in the country and eliminate terrorism,' he said. 'Everyone in the nation stands with security forces in the war against terrorism,' the statement added.

District Police Officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed told The Dawn that four civilians were injured in the 'suicide attack' carried out through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

The Dawn reported that the attack comes just days after two soldiers were martyred and 11 terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest bombing.

Earlier this month, 14 terrorists were killed in North Waziristan's Datta Khel town during a security operation, while on June 15, a Frontier Corps soldier was martyred in a targeted attack in Upper South Waziristan's Ladha tehsil.

These incidents reflect a broader trend, as Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with a 45% rise in terrorism-related deaths over the past year, reaching 1,081 fatalities. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies recorded 85 attacks in May, compared to 81 in April. (ANI)