At least 14 people, including security personnel and a forest department official, were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a security post in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security sources reported on Friday.

The attack occurred on Thursday night in Tank district when a vehicle-borne suicide bomber detonated explosives at the security post, triggering a powerful blast that caused significant casualties and structural damage.

According to security sources who spoke to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, the fatalities included nine soldiers, four police personnel, and one official from the provincial forest department.

At least 24 others were injured in the explosion, including 20 soldiers and four police officers. The wounded were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The security post was completely razed to the ground by the force of the blast. Rescue teams continued search and evacuation operations into Friday, with three soldiers believed to be trapped under the rubble.

During subsequent clearance operations in the surrounding area, security forces killed three militants, the sources added.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

The bombing underscores the persistent security challenges in Pakistan’s northwest, a region that has faced repeated militant attacks in recent years. (ILKHA)