Seven Pakistani soldiers and 13 others were killed in a suicide bombing at a military compound in North Waziristan, along the Afghan border, on Friday, said Pakistani security officials. The attack comes as a shaky 48-hour ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul is about to expire.
BREAKING: Suicide bombing targeting Pakistani soldiers in Khaddi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; gunfire heard. pic.twitter.com/Rd4HfDdfhR
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) October 17, 2025
Militant Attack Targets Military Camp
The attack took place when militants launched an attack on a Pakistani military camp, a fort, in the turbulent region. Authorities stated that one of the militants used an explosive-packed vehicle and rammed it into the boundary wall of the facility. Two other militants tried to enter the camp but were gunned down by security forces.
The Pakistani army is yet to make a statement on the attack.
Attack Amid Strained Relations and Ceasefire
The attack highlights the high tensions between the two South Asian neighbors. The attack came on the same day a 48-hour ceasefire, which had halted days of heavy fighting, was about to expire at 1300 GMT.
The nations fought with fierce land battles earlier in the month, and Pakistan also conducted airstrikes along the disputed border, killing dozens and hundreds of others wounded.
Regional Instability and International Mediation
Cross-border militant violence has been a contentious issue since the Afghan Taliban’s return to Kabul in 2021.
The current escalation was prompted by Islamabad’s insistence that Kabul act against militants, who have increased attacks in Pakistan from suspected havens inside Afghanistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan “retaliated” after running out of patience but still stood willing to engage in dialogue.
Kabul refutes hosting militants, accusing instead the Pakistani military of propaganda, instigating tensions on the border, and supporting Daesh-affiliated militants to destabilize Afghanistan. Islamabad rejects these counter-accusations.
Even though border conflicts had happened in the past, the conflict this month has been the worst in decades, and international mediators have taken interest. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have tried to facilitate an end to the conflict, and even former US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate the dispute.