The Pakistani army announced on Saturday the killing of 14 militants in a security operation conducted by its forces following a suicide bombing that targeted a military convoy in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the country's north, leaving 13 soldiers dead.

In a statement, the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that after the suicide attack, a large-scale clearance operation was carried out in the area, resulting in the killing of 14 militants following an intense exchange of fire. The statement emphasized that military operations would continue to pursue those involved and reaffirmed the Pakistani army’s "full commitment to counterterrorism."

Earlier in the day, the ISPR stated in a separate release that the suicide attack occurred in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district when a suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle attempted to target a security convoy. However, troops escorting the convoy intercepted the attacker before he could reach his target.

The statement explained that the assailant detonated his vehicle after it collided with a military vehicle, killing 13 soldiers and severely injuring three civilians—two children and a woman.

These developments come amid a sharp rise in armed attacks targeting security forces in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, both of which border Afghanistan.