Pakistan Army on Thursday thwarted a terrorist attack on checkpost and killed eight to nine militants following a suicide attack near the FC camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, security sources said.

Heavy firing was heard following a loud explosion in Jandola, police officials told the media.

According to security sources, terrorists tried to attack Jandola checkpost which was repulsed by the security forces. They added that a suicide bomber blew himself up in a vehicle near the FC camp.

The latest attack came only a day after security forces killed all 33 attackers who had hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan’s Bolan and held passengers hostages in the mountainous region.

The militants blew up the rail tracks and opened fire on the Jaffar Express as it made its way to Peshawar from Quetta, the capital of mineral-rich Balochistan, taking hostage several of the 440 passengers aboard.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the attack, in which 21 hostages were killed and four security troops martyred.

The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.

The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.

The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.

Balochistan also experienced a surge in militant activity, with at least 24 attacks, which claimed 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and nine militants.

The month also saw two suicide bombings, both in Balochistan. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for one, while the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army took credit for the other.