Violent twin attack near Pakistan-Afghanistan border ahead of upcoming elections

Shafaq News / The Pakistani police confirmed eight killed and injured in a twin attack carried out by a suicide bomber and gunmen targeting their forces near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, escalating violence sparked security concerns Ahead of scheduled elections next year.

According to Reuters, the clash followed another armed assault in the region two days ago, resulting in the deaths of 23 Pakistani soldiers in the city of Dera Ismail Khan near tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, where lawlessness prevails.

Iftikhar Shah, the police official, mentioned that today's attack occurred in the adjacent Tank area. It commenced with an armed blast at the main entrance of the police station and a residential building before the remaining assailants stormed the location.

"Our security forces engaged them in an hours-long firefight," he added, noting that two other police officers sustained injuries.

The district police chief, Akhtar Hayat, announced the killing of three attackers. He stated, "We are searching for the others, including two wounded individuals."

Furthermore, a relatively unknown extremist group identifying itself as Ansar-ul-Islam claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement, marking it as their inaugural attack. However, the police have not verified the authenticity of this claim.