Pakistan: Two soldiers wounded after attack near Afghan border July 14

Event

Two suicide bombers attacked a Pakistani military camp in northwest Pakistan on Friday, July 14, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region near the Afghan border. Reports say one attacker was killed as he detonated a suicide vest while the other was neutralized by snipers. Two soldiers were wounded in the firefight. The attack was claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar militant group. No further comment was provided by the Pakistani military or Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

Context

Extremist Islamist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan suffered a number of deadly attacks earlier in the year, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Tribal Areas, Peshawar, and Lahore.

Advice

Due to the high threat of terrorism (as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence), individuals present in Pakistan are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities. To reduce the risk of kidnapping, individuals should avoid falling into daily routines (e.g. vary the times and routes of travel) to avoid becoming a predictable and vulnerable target. Some Western governments advise their citizens against travel to Pakistan, where foreign nationals, in particular Westerners, may be directly targeted.