15 security officials killed in militant attack in northwest Pakistan

At least 15 security officials were killed and several were injured in a suicide attack and ambush at a police post in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the police said. The incident took place on Saturday in the northwest district of Bannu where an explosive-laden vehicle approaching a police post was fired at by security personnel, leading to a blast, the police said. The impact of the explosion led to the collapse of the roofs of several houses in the vicinity. The police post building was also razed to the ground, and several security personnel were buried under the rubble. After the explosion, the police said, a large group of militants launched an attack on the police post, triggering heavy exchange of fire. A spokesperson of Bannu police told PTI that 15 security officials were killed in the attack and several were injured. There is no clarity yet on the number of militants killed in the incident or whether any of them were held. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi condemned the ''terrorist attack'' and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives. His office said he has directed the authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured. He termed the attack on the police post as ''highly tragic and a cowardly act,'' adding that such attacks could not undermine the morale of the police and the public. In a similar incident last week, Pakistani security forces gunned down a suspected militant who was approaching a check post in an explosive-laden vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's South Waziristan region. The vehicle hit a nearby building, causing an explosion that injured seven persons, but no casualties were reported. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced recurring unrest over the years driven by militant violence, cross-border movement of fighters from Afghanistan and repeated military operations. Its mountainous terrain and porous frontier add to the challenges for security forces. No particular group has claimed responsibility for the recent incident. But, in the past, the Pakistan government has accused the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan of carrying out violence in the region, especially after a ceasefire deal between the two ended in 2022.

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