ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces foiled a suspected suicide bombing plot in the northwestern district of South Waziristan, state media reported on Saturday, killing one suspected militant and wounding five others during an intelligence-based operation.
The operation took place in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a district bordering Afghanistan that has long been a hotspot for militant violence.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has seen a surge in militant violence in recent years, with Islamabad blaming the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Suicide bombings remain a persistent threat in the region, including an attack on a police station in nearby Bannu earlier this week that wounded five police officers.
“Security forces foiled a major terrorist plot in Wana through a timely intelligence-based operation, destroying an explosive-laden vehicle intended for a suicide attack,” Pakistan TV reported, citing security sources.
“The operation prevented a potential catastrophe in Wana and surrounding areas, with one terrorist killed and five others injured,” it added. “The successful action averted significant civilian casualties and ensured the safety of the local population.”
The report did not specify whether the militants exchanged fire with security forces, how the explosives-laden vehicle was intercepted or whether any members of the security forces were injured.
Pakistan has intensified intelligence-based operations against TTP militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in districts bordering Afghanistan.
Islamabad says the TTP operates from sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan and has accused the Taliban-led government in Kabul of allowing militants to launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan, allegations Kabul denies.
