ISLAMABAD — At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 24 others wounded, including 14 civilians, in a suicide bombing on Saturday targeting an army convoy in North Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan, local media reported.

The attack occurred in the Khadi Market area of Mir Ali, a town in the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Citing security sources, Khyber Chronicles reported that a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near a bomb disposal unit vehicle belonging to the 22 Frontier Force Regiment.

The incident marks one of the deadliest single-day assaults on Pakistani security forces in recent months in the tribal border regions.

Among the 24 injured, many were critically wounded, according to local hospital sources.

A local militant faction led by Hafiz Gulbahadar claimed responsibility for the bombing, although the Pakistan Army has not yet issued an official statement.

In the wake of a spate of attacks targeting military and law enforcement personnel across Waziristan, Khyber, and Kurram districts, Pakistan’s military has intensified intelligence-based operations across the province.

Islamabad continues to blame the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims operates from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan.

Kabul has repeatedly denied such allegations, asserting that Afghan soil is not being used for cross-border terrorism. — Agencies