A suicide bomber killed at least 12 people at a joint police and customs checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claiming responsibility for the attack.

The blast occurred in the Aman Mela area of Darazinda tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The bomber drove an explosives-laden tractor-trolley into the post, which had been established to curb smuggling along the Dera Ismail Khan-Quetta road. The explosion destroyed much of the checkpoint and damaged a nearby house.

Officials reported that those killed included six excise and customs officials, two policemen, the bomber, and several civilians including women and children in some accounts. Approximately 30 others were injured, many of them security personnel and passersby. Rescue 1122 teams responded to the scene and transported the wounded to hospitals.

The TTP issued a statement taking credit for the bombing. The group has intensified attacks on Pakistani security forces in recent years following the collapse of a ceasefire. Pakistan has seen a broader surge in militant violence, with many incidents attributed to the TTP, which maintains ties to the Afghan Taliban that regained power in 2021.

The attack took place amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani officials have accused militants of using Afghan territory as a sanctuary, a claim Afghan authorities have denied. The incident follows recent cross-border clashes that left multiple Afghan Taliban fighters dead according to Pakistani reports.

Local police chief Safdar Baloch noted that most victims were security personnel or bystanders. Regional Police Officer Khan Mubashir Malik confirmed details of the vehicle used in the assault. The event underscores ongoing challenges in securing remote checkpoints in areas prone to militant activity.