The attack in South Waziristan highlights once again the deteriorating security environment in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least nine Pakistani security personnel were killed and several others injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a convoy of security forces in the Mula Khan Sara area of South Waziristan on September 29.

According to security sources, the IED was planted on a route frequently used by military vehicles, and the blast triggered a fierce exchange of gunfire between militants and security forces.

The incident comes just days after a major anti-militancy operation in Karak district on September 27, where Pakistani forces reported killing 17 militants affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including those from the Mullah Nazir faction.

The Karak raid was described by officials as an intelligence-based operation conducted jointly by the Frontier Corps (FC) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, following credible reports of militant presence.

Despite such operations, the persistence of IED attacks and militant ambushes signifies the resilience of groups operating from the tribal belt. South Waziristan, traditionally a stronghold of the TTP and allied militant groups, has particularly witnessed a surge in violence in recent months. Militants continue to exploit the difficult terrain, porous borders, and limited state presence in rural tribal areas.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious concerns about the evolving militant threat in the province. In its statement, HRCP bluntly noted that extremists “operate freely even as the State has failed to protect its citizens.” This reflects growing frustration among civil society and local populations, who remain vulnerable amidst recurring militant violence, targeted killings, and military reprisals.

Observers believe the cycle of militant attacks and counter-operations points to deeper structural challenges. On one hand, Pakistan’s security forces have intensified raids and airstrikes against entrenched militant groups.

On the other, the militants continue to regroup, leveraging sanctuaries and networks spread across the borderlands of Afghanistan and inside tribal districts. The recent wave of attacks also indicates the insurgents’ capacity to strike back despite repeated security crackdowns.

The attack in South Waziristan is thus not an isolated incident, but part of a wider pattern of instability threatening Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With rising casualties among security personnel and civilians alike, the province remains at the frontline of Pakistan’s long-running conflict with the TTP and its affiliates, raising urgent questions about the State’s ability to secure its restive border regions and provide stability to its citizens.