Security forces narrowly averted a potentially devastating terrorist attack on Sunday morning, intercepting a vehicle packed with over 1.5 tons of explosives near Tiarza Gate Fort, in South Waziristan. The incident unfolded around 7:30 a.m. when a sentry signaled a suspicious Datsun single-cabin pickup truck to stop. The driver, ignoring the order, abandoned the vehicle and escaped into the surrounding terrain.

According to Islamabad-based news media outlet The Khorasan Diary, security forces acted on prior intelligence and suspecting a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), immediately cordoned off the area. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was swiftly deployed to assess the threat. Their inspection confirmed the vehicle was indeed a massive VBIED, containing a significant cache of explosives.

The EOD team meticulously recovered the following materials from the truck: four gas cylinders, six plastic cans of sulphuric acid, and seven explosive-laden plastic canisters, each weighing approximately 240 kilograms and concealed beneath a layer of firewood. The total weight of the explosives was estimated at over 1,500 kilograms (1.5 tons).

By the end of the day, the EOD team successfully defused the explosive circuits, secured the materials, and declared the area safe. The explosives have been transported to a secure location for controlled disposal.

Security sources described the thwarted attack as potentially “catastrophic,” capable of causing widespread casualties and significant destruction. Intelligence agencies are currently investigating to identify the fleeing driver and uncover the entire terrorist network responsible for this plot.