By Staff Reporter
BANNU: Militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpost in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late on Saturday, triggering a powerful blast that killed 15 officers and touched off a fierce gunfight, authorities said on Sunday.
The attack on the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu district left three other officers wounded and reduced the small fortification to rubble, destroying an armored vehicle stationed there and damaging nearby buildings, police and rescue officials reported. The assault, which involved heavy gunfire from multiple directions and the use of quadcopters, was the latest in a surge of militant violence that has strained security forces across the province since the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
A police spokesperson, Kashif Khan, said reinforcements reached the post quickly and the area was immediately cordoned off. Communication with the post was briefly lost after the blast, officials said. The explosion’s force was so intense that it prompted panic among local residents, many of whom reported hearing multiple blasts. An emergency was declared at local hospitals as rescue teams worked through the night.
By Sunday morning, Rescue 1122 crews had completed their operation, recovering 15 bodies and the three injured officers from the debris, a spokesman for the service said. “The rescue operation has been completed. Fifteen bodies and three injured were recovered from the debris,” the spokesman told reporters. A militant alliance known as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, according to statements circulated by the group.
Police said the post was completely destroyed in the initial blast, and an armored vehicle parked at the site was also obliterated. Heavy machinery, including cranes and excavators, was brought in to clear the rubble as investigators sifted through the wreckage.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack in a post on X, describing the dead officers as “courageous sons of the soil” who had sacrificed their lives “while protecting the people of Pakistan and defending peace.” “Their bravery, commitment and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Naqvi wrote. He offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the martyrs’ “elevated ranks,” adding that “Pakistan stands united against terrorism and such cowardly acts can never weaken our resolve.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday to express his “deep sorrow and grief” over the loss of life. Sharif prayed for the elevation of the slain officers’ ranks and for the speedy recovery of the injured, according to a statement from his office. He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to working with provincial authorities “to ensure the complete eradication of terrorism from the country” and pledged “every possible assistance” in the fight.
President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack, according to a statement issued by the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan. He paid tribute to the martyred police officers, prayed for their “eternal peace and elevation of the ranks,” and expressed sorrow over damage to nearby homes. Zardari directed both provincial and federal governments to provide all possible assistance to the injured and affected residents. “Nefarious designs of terrorist elements would be foiled and the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with its forces,” the statement quoted Zardari as saying. He added that “at a time when Pakistan is striving for regional and global peace, terrorists backed by India are targeting Pakistan’s civilian population and law enforcement agencies from sanctuaries provided by the Taliban regime.” Pakistan, he said, would “target not only the terrorists, but also their facilitators and sponsors.”
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, issued a statement condemning the attack and offering condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, particularly the bereaved families. He prayed for the swift recovery of the injured. Turkey’s embassy in Islamabad similarly denounced the assault and vowed “full solidarity with Pakistan.”
The attack comes amid repeated security incidents in Bannu district in recent months, where both civilians and law enforcement have come under fire. Police and security forces have conducted targeted operations in several localities to disrupt militant networks, including attacks on police personnel and local jirga members.The violence is part of a broader resurgence of militancy in Pakistan since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused Kabul of sheltering militants from the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, allegations that Afghan authorities deny. The surge has soured relations between Islamabad and Kabul, leading to border clashes earlier this year.
As the Bannu investigation continued Sunday, security forces pressed a separate large-scale operation against militants in the Shewa tehsil of neighboring North Waziristan district for a third consecutive day. Officials said seven militants, including two key commanders, were killed in search-and-clearance actions. Several militant hideouts were destroyed, including structures in the Alam Khel Market in Dorwazanda and a residential compound in Anarkhel, according to sources familiar with the operation.
Door-to-door searches continued in the area, where a curfew remained in place, disrupting daily life and forcing some families to flee to safer districts. Security forces seized weapons and other materials during raids, officials said. The slain militants were believed to have been involved in previous attacks on security forces and targeted killings, sources added. Shewa tehsil, once considered one of the more stable parts of North Waziristan, has seen a sharp deterioration over the past year, with residents reporting a rise in targeted killings, quadcopter strikes and militant activity. The area’s economy, based largely on agriculture, livestock and small businesses, has been severely disrupted.
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