More than 1,300 kilograms of explosives were used in last week's assault on a security checkpoint in Tank, a figure that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi says reveals the scale and sophistication of the militant threat facing Pakistan. Speaking Sunday at a security briefing in Dera Ismail Khan, Kundi described the attack as a tragic incident that claimed 15 lives, including 14 security personnel from the Pakistan Army, police, and forest department. Main Developments According to the Inter-Service Public Relations, terrorists attempted to breach the perimeter of a joint police checkpost at Manji Khel in Tank on Friday. Security forces swiftly foiled the attempt, killing 12 attackers, but not before an explosive-laden vehicle was rammed into the perimeter wall, causing serious damage to infrastructure. Kundi confirmed that more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the attack, underscoring what he called the increasing sophistication of terrorist operations. He visited injured personnel at the hospital and praised their courage, saying their morale remained high despite the severity of the attack. Read also: 3 Key Factors Behind Karachi's Recurring Water Crisis After Power Breakdowns The governor called for a unified national response to terrorism, urging the federal and provincial governments, security forces, and the public to stand together. He stressed the need to intensify intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said he would discuss this with the chief minister. Background The Tank attack is the latest in a series of militant incidents that have sharply deteriorated Pakistan's security situation. A monthly assessment released in early June by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies reported that after two consecutive months of improvement, the security climate worsened dramatically in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Kundi linked the current threat to regional dynamics, alleging that India is using Afghan territory through terrorist groups to destabilize Pakistan. He also claimed that weapons abandoned by international forces in Afghanistan are frequently being used in attacks inside Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another recent incident involved security forces foiling a suicide bombing in South Waziristan district, killing four terrorists including the suicide bomber. These events highlight the persistent and evolving nature of the militant threat in the region. Why It Matters The sheer volume of explosives used in the Tank attack — over 1,300 kilogrammes — signals a shift toward larger, more coordinated assaults that challenge existing security responses. Kundi emphasized that such attacks cannot weaken the morale of the forces or the public, but they do reveal gaps in intelligence and perimeter security that require urgent attention. The governor also raised concerns about compensation and support packages for injured personnel, promising to take recommendations from regional police to the federal government and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He described the welfare of martyrs' families and injured personnel as a collective responsibility, underscoring the human cost of ongoing operations. What's Next Kundi said he would convey the recommendations presented by regional police to the federal government, and would also raise with the interior minister and provincial government the matter of scaling up compensation and support for injured personnel. He emphasized the need for closer coordination between Islamabad and Peshawar, calling on the provincial government to work shoulder to shoulder with the federal government in the fight against terrorism. The governor also pledged to discuss with the chief minister the intensification of intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No timeline for these discussions was provided, but the remarks suggest that policy changes and enhanced security measures are under active consideration.