Deadly attack on Pakistan outpost puts Afghanistan ceasefire at risk

Al Jazeera:

An attack on a security compound in northwest Pakistan has killed several paramilitary officers, with the Afghan-based Pakistan Taliban (TTP) claiming responsibility.

An armed group rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into the Bajaur district camp’s gate on Thursday and then launched a gun battle, security sources said. It was the latest in a string of deadly incidents in the border region that threaten the fragile ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.

The vehicle triggered a “huge explosion,” one Pakistani official told Reuters news agency. The fighters then rushed the camp and opened “indiscriminate fire”.

Reports say that eight or nine Pakistani soldiers were killed in the attack. At least 10 of the attackers were killed, the AFP news agency reported, while about 35 security personnel were wounded.

A Reuters journalist in the town of Bajaur said the blast was felt at markets more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the compound. Images showed that most of the outpost’s structures had been destroyed or charred by flames.

Pakistani military troops reportedly shut down nearby roads and surrounded the compound, which is located on the mountainous border with Afghanistan.