Security forces on Monday evening foiled an attempted suicide attack targeting an army post near Azam Warsak Bazaar in South Waziristan.
According to security sources, the attacker tried to target the post using an explosives-laden vehicle but timely action from Pakistan Army personnel resulted in the vehicle being destroyed before it could reach the post.
Police officials said that the blast damaged a nearby religious seminary, a petrol pump, shops and several houses, with parts of some structures collapsing with the impact.
One civilian was killed in the incident while 15 others were injured. All casualties were shifted to the Wana District Headquarters Hospital where, according to Medical Superintendent Dr Jan Mohammad, a state of emergency was declared.
In a statement, security forces said that the attacker and vehicle were engaged at a distance from the post, which helped prevent a higher number of casualties. The area was later cordoned off and a search operation launched, they added.
Security officials also said that incidents of militancy have increased in parts of South Waziristan over the past year, including target killings, kidnappings for ransom, bombings and attacks on security posts.
According to a report by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies, terrorist attacks in Pakistan rose by 34 percent in 2025, while terrorism-related deaths increased by 21 percent year-on-year.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies Annual Security Report 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded a rise in violence, with fatalities increasing from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.
Meanwhile, security forces have also intensified counter-terrorism operations in response to the resurgence of militancy, particularly in KP and Balochistan, where attacks have increasingly targeted security personnel and law enforcement agencies.
