Overview
- Militants hit multiple military and police positions in Pakistan’s Bajaur district in a coordinated operation, with the worst damage at the Damangi Scouts base near the Afghanistan border.
- At the main outpost, which guards cross‑border routes, a quadcopter preceded an explosive‑laden vehicle that rammed the building, then fighters entered the compound and opened fire.
- Casualty counts for Pakistani forces diverge across reports after Thursday night’s assault, ranging from at least eight to as many as 18 dead, and the military had not issued a detailed statement.
- Security forces say they repelled the attack and killed the assailants, with some accounts reporting nine militants dead and others saying all the attackers were neutralized as roads were sealed and evacuations began.
- The Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan took responsibility, in a week marked by deadly strikes elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, raising the risk of fresh friction with Afghanistan over alleged militant sanctuaries.