KARACHI, Pakistan

Six police officers were killed and another was injured in a blast in northwestern Pakistan, an official said Friday.

The explosion occurred near a police vehicle in the Lakki Marwat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local broadcaster Geo News reported, citing a police spokesperson.

The latest incident comes as Pakistan has launched a cross-border military operation in Afghanistan, accusing its neighbor of harboring militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has denied the allegation.

The deadly cross-border clashes have resulted in dozens of casualties among civilians and soldiers on both sides.

Combat-related fatalities surged by 30% last month amid a spike in suicide attacks, according to monthly statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.

The data showed 470 deaths and 333 injuries in Pakistan during the month. The figures represent a 74% surge in security forces deaths, a 21% increase in militant fatalities and a 32% rise in civilian deaths compared with the previous month.