KP Governor Says 1,300kg Explosives Used in Tank Checkpost Attack
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Sunday that more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the deadly assault on the Manji Khel checkpost in Tank district. The attack left 15 people martyred, including 14 members of the security services, and caused extensive damage to the facility.
Kundi disclosed the scale of the explosives while speaking to journalists at the Regional Police Office in Dera Ismail Khan following a detailed briefing on the security situation. Senior police officials, including the district police officers of DI Khan and Tank, were present during the governor’s visit and discussions.
The governor said personnel from the Pakistan Army, police and forest department were among those who lost their lives while performing their duties. He described the quantity of explosives used in the vehicle-borne attack as evidence of the serious operational capacity and planning behind the assault.
Kundi called for a coordinated national response involving the federal government, the provincial administration, security institutions and the public. He maintained that restoring peace required sustained cooperation between Islamabad and Peshawar, alongside stronger intelligence sharing and more focused counterterrorism operations across vulnerable districts.
The governor also met personnel injured in the attack and praised their courage. He said recommendations submitted by regional police officials would be taken up with the federal government, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the provincial authorities, particularly proposals concerning compensation, medical assistance and long-term support for the wounded and the families of those martyred.
According to the military’s media wing, militants initially attempted to penetrate the perimeter of the joint police checkpost on Friday. Security forces repelled the attempted breach and killed 12 attackers, after which an explosives-laden vehicle was driven into the boundary wall, severely damaging the checkpost’s infrastructure.
Kundi alleged that militant organisations were using Afghan territory to carry out destabilising activities inside Pakistan and claimed that weapons left behind by international forces in Afghanistan had reached armed groups operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These claims were presented by the governor during his media interaction and would require further diplomatic and investigative examination.
The Tank attack occurred amid a broader increase in militant violence in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In another recent operation, security forces said they foiled a suicide assault in South Waziristan and killed four militants, including the would-be bomber, highlighting the continuing threat to checkpoints and security installations near the border region.
Persistent attacks place significant pressure on local communities, police resources and economic activity in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They can disrupt travel, education and commerce while increasing the financial burden of reconstruction, security deployments and assistance for affected families.
Authorities are expected to review the Tank incident’s planning, supply routes and financing as investigators work to identify those who facilitated the attackers. Further intelligence-based operations and closer coordination between provincial and federal agencies are likely as the government seeks to prevent similar high-impact assaults and strengthen protection for frontline personnel.