Timeline of major attacks in Pakistan targeting security forces

An area inside the Karachi Police Office compound is seen cordoned off by a barricade tape a day after an attack by Pakistan's Taliban in Karachi on February 18, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 14 December 2023
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Timeline of major attacks in Pakistan targeting security forces

  • Six-man suicide squad rammed explosive-laden truck into military camp on Tuesday, killing at least 23 soldiers
  • Most attacks in northwestern Pakistan are claimed by Pakistani Taliban and in Balochistan by separatist groups 

A six-man suicide squad drove an explosive-laden truck into a military camp in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 23 soldiers, in the latest attack on security forces in the South Asian nation.

Here are some other incidents of violence over recent years that have targeted security forces in the country.

AUGUST, 2023
Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar in the country’s mineral-rich province of Balochistan while it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project.

A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claimed the attack and said it had inflicted multiple casualties, but Pakistani officials said no harm had been caused to any military personnel or civilians.

JULY 2023
Suspected militants stormed into an army base in Balochistan’s Zhob district, armed with guns, hand grenades, and rockets, in an attack that caused the deaths of nine soldiers.

Newly founded jihadist group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed responsibility for the assault.

APRIL, 2023
A suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up, killing three soldiers, as militants attacked a temporary military camp in northwest Pakistan.

The attack, for which no group claimed responsibility, occurred in the district of Lakki Marwat, near a rugged tribal area bordering Afghanistan which has long been home to militants.

MARCH, 2023
A suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle into a police truck in Sibbi, a city some 160 km (100 miles) east of Quetta, provincial capital of Balochistan, killing nine policemen and injuring 15 more.

The Daesh Group later claimed responsibility for the attack.

FEBRUARY, 2022
Insurgents armed with bombs and guns attacked two Pakistani military bases in Balochistan, killing seven soldiers in an attack for which the BLA group claimed responsibility.

China has been investing in the region and the attack came hours before Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, where he was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders.

JANUARY, 2022
An insurgency attack on a Pakistani army post near Gwadar port killed 10 soldiers. The BLF claimed responsibility for the attack.


Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss regional situation, upcoming engagements

Updated 14 February 2026
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss regional situation, upcoming engagements

  • Ishaq Dar and Prince Faisal bin Farhan agree to stay in contact amid Middle East tensions
  • The two officials speak ahead of Trump’s Feb. 19 Board of Peace meeting in Washington, DC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed regional developments and upcoming international engagements with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in a phone call on Saturday, according to the foreign office in Islamabad.

The conversation took place against the backdrop of deepening strategic ties between Islamabad and Riyadh. In September last year, the two countries signed a bilateral defense agreement that formalized decades of military cooperation and included a commitment to view aggression against one as an attack on both countries.

“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation today with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation, forthcoming international engagements, and agreed to remain in close contact,” it added.

The two officials spoke at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with the conflict in Gaza far from resolution amid ongoing ceasefire violations by Israel.

The region has also been on edge as the United States pursues nuclear negotiations with Iran, prompting regional states to call for diplomacy rather than new military flare-ups.

Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are participants in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which is scheduled to meet on Feb. 19 in Washington.

Islamabad and Riyadh have consistently coordinated positions over regional and global issues.

The foreign ministry did not provide further details of the discussion.