7 soldiers killed in Pakistani bomb attack

Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed on Sunday when their vehicle was bombed in a northwest region bordering Afghanistan, according to the military.

The six enlisted men and one officer were killed by an “improvised explosive device” in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement.

A senior police officer stationed in Lakki Marwat said that “the explosion completely destroyed the vehicle”.

“We have received information that the vehicle came under fire after the blast,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has long been a hive of extremist militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban and the local chapter of ISIS.

“Lakki Marwat is one of the districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa most affected by terrorism,” the senior police officer said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is the most active militant group in the area and regularly targets security forces.

(With inputs from agencies)