RAWALPINDI: Fifteen personnel, including 12 soldiers and two police officers, were martyred after militants launched a coordinated gun-and-bomb attack on a joint police check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, the military said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the attack took place during the night of July 23 and 24 when a group of militants attempted to breach the security perimeter of the check post.

Security forces responded to the assault and engaged the attackers as they attempted to flee, killing 12 militants during the exchange of fire, the military’s media wing said.

The attackers later rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the check post, causing extensive damage to the facility.

The blast killed 15 personnel, comprising 12 members of the armed forces, two police officers and a government official formerly associated with the forest department, according to the ISPR statement.

The military described the attackers as members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which the government refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij. It also alleged that the group was backed by India. No independently verifiable evidence supporting the allegation was provided in the statement, and there was no immediate response from New Delhi.

A clearance operation was launched in the surrounding area to search for any remaining attackers, the military said.

The ISPR added that security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue counterterrorism operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign, approved by the federal apex committee overseeing the National Action Plan.

Tank district, located near Pakistan’s border regions, has witnessed repeated militant attacks targeting police, military personnel and government installations.

Pakistan has faced a resurgence in militant violence in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Security forces have intensified intelligence-based and clearance operations in response to attacks on check posts and law enforcement facilities.

The latest attack underscores the continuing security challenges facing personnel deployed in areas affected by militant activity.

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