PESHAWAR, Pakistan — In a tragic incident on Saturday, six security personnel in Pakistan were killed, and seven others sustained injuries during an attack at a checkpoint in the northwest region, according to a police source.

The attack took place in the Kurram district, an area that has seen intense sectarian violence recently, claiming the lives of over 130 individuals in recent weeks. Nevertheless, authorities maintain that this assault is unrelated to the ongoing conflicts between Sunni and Shiite factions, as a ceasefire remains in effect.

A local official, Saleem Khan, reported that the armed assailants targeted a Frontier Corps checkpoint located in Bagam, approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Peshawar city. The injured personnel were promptly taken to a military hospital for treatment. As of now, there has been no definitive claim of responsibility from any group for this heinous act.

In a separate development on the same day, an intelligence official disclosed that operations conducted against the Pakistani Taliban in the Tank district had resulted in the deaths of 20 militants over the last 24 hours. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to share information publicly, the official indicated that among those killed was a commander linked to the group.

The slain militants were reportedly involved in various criminal activities, including assaults on security forces, extortion efforts, and targeted attacks on civilian individuals, as stated by the official.

Both Kurram and Tank districts are located within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan, making these areas particularly sensitive and prone to violence.