DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least 11 people were killed and 20 others injured when a police checkpost in Aman Mela near Dera Ismail Khan’s Darazinda was targeted in a bomb attack on Saturday, according to Rescue 1122 officials.

The dead included eight men, two women and a child, Rescue 1122 said, adding that rescue teams were continuing relief operations at the site and recovering victims from the debris.

Police said the incident occurred at the Aman Mela checkpost, located near Mughal Kot and Darazinda on the DI Khan-Quetta Road, close to the border between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Police further said bomb disposal teams had been dispatched to the site to determine the nature and cause of the explosion.

Several people, including cops and customs personnel and two civilians, were among those injured, according to police.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 said 20 injured people had so far been provided initial medical assistance, with 18 of them referred to medical facilities in Darazinda and Mufti Mahmood Hospital in DI Khan for further treatment.

Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Muhammad Arif Khan directed the deployment of four additional ambulances with staff from DI Khan to assist in the rescue operation and facilitate the evacuation of the injured.

The checkpost is used by police for security and checking along the DI Khan-Quetta route.

KP has witnessed an increase in terrorist activity in recent months, with law enforcement agencies and security forces being targeted, prompting authorities to intensify counterterrorism operations.

Earlier this month, police said they foiled an attack by terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on a checkpost in DI Khan’s Daraban area. No casualties were reported among the police personnel.

Mainland KP, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50 per cent, according to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.