PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A devastating suicide bombing occurred at a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 members of the security forces and injuring multiple others, according to reports from four intelligence and security officials on Wednesday.

The incident, noted as one of the most lethal attacks in recent times, took place on Tuesday evening in Bannu, a district located in the conflict-prone Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, identified as the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which issued a statement acknowledging their involvement. While the government has not released an immediate response to the attack, the security and intelligence officials indicated that operations were underway to apprehend those responsible for the bombing.

These officials requested anonymity as they were not permitted to discuss the details with the media.

Since November 2022, Pakistan has seen a troubling rise in violence, coinciding with the end of a cease-fire agreement between the Pakistani Taliban and the government of Islamabad.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), functions independently but aligns with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which regained control in 2021. This power shift has emboldened the TTP, as many of its leaders and operatives operate from Afghanistan.

In a related incident in December 2023, a bomber targeted the main entrance of a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, another district in the northwest region, leading to the death of 23 security personnel.

The bombing in Bannu occurred while key political and military leaders were convening in Islamabad to address the escalating violence by militant groups.

On the same day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif authorized a “comprehensive military operation” aimed at counteracting separatist factions, notably the Balochistan Liberation Army, in the southwestern province of Balochistan. This decision followed a suicide bombing on November 9, which targeted a train station and resulted in 26 fatalities in Quetta, the provincial capital.

The intensity of violence has notably escalated in northwestern Pakistan, where security forces routinely confront the TTP and the Gul Bahadur group.

Abdullah Khan, a prominent defense analyst and managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies in Islamabad, reported that over 900 security personnel have fallen victim to militant attacks since the TTP terminated the cease-fire in 2022.

Khan emphasized that the TTP and similar factions have broadened their operations, indicating a gain in recruits, funding, and weaponry. He asserted the necessity for political stability in the nation to effectively counter the insurgents.

Since 2022, Pakistan has been engulfed in a political crisis following the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. After his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in 2023, protests have erupted as his supporters call for his release.