SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: An attempted suicide attack on a security forces’ post near Azam Warsak Bazaar, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan area, was foiled on Monday evening, officials said.

According to security sources, the attacker attempted to target the army post using an explosives-laden coach; however, due to timely action by Pakistan Army personnel, the vehicle was destroyed before reaching its target.

Police officials said the explosion damaged a nearby religious seminary, a petrol pump, shops and the roofs of several houses, some of which partially collapsed.

As a result of the incident, one civilian was martyred while 15 others sustained injuries. All of the injured were immediately transported to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana.

Medical Superintendent Dr Jan Mohammad said that a state of emergency had been declared at the hospital, with the injured being provided medical treatment.

Local residents told Dawn that the blast was so powerful that people rushed out of their rooms in fear and panic spread in the area. The sound of the explosion was heard far and wide.

In a statement, security forces said that engaging the attacker and their vehicle at a distance from the post helped prevent major loss of life. Security personnel have since cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

There has been a significant increase in incidents of terrorism in various areas of South Waziristan over the past year.

Incidents of target killing, kidnapping for ransom, bombings and attacks on police and security forces’ check posts have intensified, causing serious concern among residents.

Despite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year on year, according to a report released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies.

KP in particular has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the province recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

Due to a resurgence of militancy, especially in KP and Balochistan, where attacks often target security personnel and LEAs, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations.

Last week, six terrorists were killed when Bannu police successfully repelled a major attack on the Mazanga police post, officials said.