Wed Nov 20 16:25:55 UTC 2024: ## Twin Attacks Kill 20 Pakistani Soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

**Peshawar, Pakistan – November 20, 2024** – A wave of violence in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has left at least 20 soldiers dead in two separate attacks within a 24-hour period. A suicide bombing on Tuesday claimed the lives of 12 soldiers in Bannu, while a separate clash on Monday resulted in the deaths of eight more in the Tirah area.

The suicide attack in Bannu was claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a militant organization. The military reported that six militants were killed in a preceding firefight before the suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military post. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow and vowed to eliminate terrorism, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack.

The Monday attack in Tirah, which lasted for several hours, was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP stated the attack was retaliation for a security forces operation targeting one of their fighters. Nine militants were also killed in this clash.

Separately, seven police officers were briefly taken hostage near the Bannu checkpoint on Monday but were released unharmed following negotiations with local tribal elders.

These attacks follow a recent surge in violence in the region, with the TTP claiming responsibility for an October attack that killed ten police officers and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claiming responsibility for attacks resulting in the deaths of soldiers in southwestern Pakistan. The increase in violence is linked to the resurgence of militant activity since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.

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