Five terrorists who attacked the Federal Constabulary (FC) lines in Bannu on Tuesday morning have been killed, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed said during a media briefing, hours after security personnel began an operation against the attackers.
Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu.
Today morning, suicide bombers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate of the FC lines, which caused an explosion, Bannu Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan earlier told media.com.
He further said the “attackers had infiltrated the premises, following which an operation was launched”, adding that Bannu District Police Officer Saleem Abbas was leading the operation inside the FC lines.
Later, KP police chief Hameed told during the media briefing that police, army and FC personnel swiftly responded to the attack and killed five terrorists.
“Four of the five terrorists were neutralised within an hour and later the fifth [attacker was also killed],“he said.
The IGP said a clearance and search operation was now underway at the site. The clearance operation was in its last stages, he added.
Initially, RPO Khan told media.com that five policemen were also injured during the operation.
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism since the TTP ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022, vowing to increase attacks.
Last month, police, alongside security forces in Hoveed and Wazirabad areas of Bannu, arrested “14 terrorist facilitators“ and destroyed their hideouts.
On August 3, a police constable was martyred in a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Bannu, where an exchange of fire also left three terrorists dead and three policemen injured.
In July, terrorists used a quadcopter to attack a police station in Miryan, Bannu, making it the fifth such attack at the installation in a month.
According to data released by the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the counry witnessed an alarming spike in militant violence in August this year, registering a 74 per cent increase in militant attacks compared to July, becoming the “deadliest month in over a decade“.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
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