Militants detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint and opened fire on officers in Bannu, northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 15 people, officials said Sunday.
The attack took place late Saturday night in Fateh Khel area. Pictures from the scene show that the post has been reduced to rubble, with bricks, burnt debris and damaged vehicles scattered across the area.
Bannu police officer Muhammad Sajjad Khan said, “Last night a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police post in Fateh Khel area of Bannu, following which several terrorists entered the post.”
He said more than 100 terrorists took part in the attack.
Attack on deadly post
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that other law enforcement personnel were sent to help the police, but the terrorists ambushed them, causing some casualties.
“The militants used heavy weapons as well as quadcopters during the attack,” a senior administration official in Bannu told AFP.
“Besides, the attackers also took away policemen and weapons from the police station while retreating,” he said.
Growing extremism and regional tension
The attack was the latest amid a wave of terrorism in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Bannu is vulnerable to terrorist activities due to its proximity to the border with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has denied Pakistani allegations that it provides safe haven to terrorist groups.
In recent months, strained diplomatic relations have escalated into armed conflict, including Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities.
Editors’ note: This story was updated after officials announced that the death toll had increased from 12 to 15.
Edited by: Louis Olofse