A group of armed men stormed the Frontier Corps (FC) fort in Qilla Abdullah, a Pashtun-dominated district of Balochistan, on the night between Monday and Tuesday.
According to reports, the militants gained entry into the Gulistan FC fort following a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) detonation at the entrance. Clashes between the militants and Pakistani forces continued until morning, with helicopters arriving at the site to support security forces.
The Pakistan Army’s spokesperson, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed the attack, stating that all five attackers, including the suicide bomber, were killed.
ISPR also reported the death of two paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) personnel: Naik Tahir Khan (39 years old, resident of Tank District) and Lance Naik Tahir Iqbal (26 years old, resident of Karak District), who were killed during the crossfire.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to the media. The group stated that the assault was conducted to avenge the killing of their member and what they said was the governor of Khyber District, Qari Ismail, who was killed alongside senior TTP commander Saleh in a drone strike by Pakistani forces days earlier.
The TTP’s claims of higher casualties among Pakistani forces contradict the official figures released by ISPR.