Suicide bomber attacks security post in Pakistan, killing 3 soldiers and a 10-year-old boy

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say a suicide bomber has targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least three soldiers and a 10-year-old boy and wounding 14 other civilians. The bombing happened Wednesday in Miran Shah, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. The region is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani Taliban group. Police say at least 14 civilians and some soldiers were wounded in the attack. The military also confirmed the death of three troops in the bombing. Though no one immediately claimed responsibility, suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban. Though a separate group, it remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.