At least four militants were killed in retaliatory fire by security forces when they launched a "suicide attack" on a camp of the Mohmand Rifles Headquarters in Mohmand Agency on Saturday.

Two soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) were killed in the attack in Ghalanai, DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa said on Twitter.

He said security forces had "defeated" the attack, killing all four suicide bombers. At least 14 FC men were injured in the attack.

The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Four suicide bombers attempted to enter the camp at 6:20am and attack a mosque in a residential area where a large number of soldiers were attending morning prayers.

“Wearing suicide jackets, the attackers opened fire and tried to rush inside the mosque,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“Security forces surrounded the attackers. Two of the attackers blew themselves up while two others were shot dead,” it added.

The attackers were contained in the outer courtyard of the mosque.

A curfew was imposed in Mohmand Agency following the incursion as gunship helicopters searched the area.

Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade.

The army launched operation Zarb-i-Azb in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas. Security has since improved though scattered attacks still take place.

In September this year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving at least 24 people dead.

Opinion

Editorial

Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...
Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...