PESHAWAR, Pakistan — In a violent incident that unfolded overnight, militants equipped with automatic weapons and grenades launched an assault on a security checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of ten law enforcement officers, according to local authorities on Friday.

The attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, a region within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as reported by police official Abdul Rauf. Several members of the security forces sustained injuries during the fierce firefight. Rauf mentioned that while the attackers faced some casualties, they managed to escape the scene, taking their wounded and deceased colleagues with them, especially after additional security personnel were deployed to reinforce the affected post located in the town of Draban.

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed his sorrow in a statement, honoring the bravery of the fallen security officers and extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

While no group has formally taken responsibility for this brutal attack, the Pakistani Taliban are the prime suspects given their historical targeting of security personnel throughout the nation, particularly in the volatile regions of the northwest that were once tribal areas.

Recently, law enforcement agencies have intensified their efforts against the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has gained momentum following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan in 2021. Though the TTP operates independently, it shares a close alliance with the Afghan Taliban.

This assault on the security post occurred just a day after two successful operations by security forces, where 19 insurgents were neutralized in Bajur, another district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and in Mianwali, a city situated in eastern Punjab province.