Pakistan: IED attack kills one FC member in North Waziristan August 23 /update 1

Event

An improvised explosive device (IED) attack killed one security forces member and wounded three others in the Datta Khel area (North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) on Thursday, August 23. The security forces personnel that came under attack are reportedly part of the Frontier Corps (FC) paramilitary force. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Additional militant attacks are possible in North Waziristan in the near-term.

Context

Security personnel are often targeted by terrorist groups in Pakistan. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qai'da, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered several deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Lahore, Balochistan province, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Advice

Individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, particularly those in North Waziristan, are advised to remain vigilant for militant activity and to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities. Due to a high threat from terrorism, as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence, some Western governments advise their citizens against nonessential travel to the country as foreign nationals, especially Westerners, may be directly targeted.