Security forces foiled a major terrorist attack targeting Bannu Cantonment in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday night, killing at least six attackers. In a subsequent clearance operation, security sources claimed another nine attackers were killed.
According to security sources, suicide bombers affiliated with the militant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) rammed two explosives-laden cars into the Cantonment’s perimeter wall after facing stiff resistance from the defenders, triggering massive explosions. The Jaish-e-Fursan Muhammad, a faction of the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, but this claim could not be verified.
Locals said the explosions had damaged a nearby mosque and triggered the collapse of a house’s roof as well as the walls of several houses, burying residents under rubble.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the District Headquarter Hospital said at least 15 civilians, including four children and two women, were killed in the blast. He said another 25 were injured.
Local media reported that the blast occurred shortly after iftar and were followed by “several” militants attempting to infiltrate the Cantonment. They said at least 10 security personnel were among the deceased and wounded, but there was no confirmation of the exact figures, as the ISPR has yet to issue an official statement.
Pakistan is currently in the midst of a terror resurgence, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Authorities blame neighboring Afghanistan, accusing the interim government of failing to prevent its soil from being used to stage terror attacks against Pakistan.
Condemnations
In separate statements, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack and paid tribute to the security forces who had foiled the assault.
Expressing sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of innocent civilians in the incident, the prime minister prayed for the highest ranks of the martyrs and patience for their families, as well as the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.
“Cowardly terrorists who target innocent civilians in the holy month of Ramzan do not deserve any concessions,” he said, adding the “Fitna al-Khawarij” were enemies of Pakistan and their malicious intentions would never succeed.
In his remarks, the president appreciated the security forces for killing the terrorists. He said the attack in the holy month of Ramzan is a heinous act and the entire nation rejects such atrocious acts. He also prayed for the highest ranks for the martyrs and patience for their families.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif said security forces had killed all the attackers. “The roof of a nearby mosque collapsed as a result of the explosions, causing the martyrdom of worshippers,” he said, adding the total number of the slain was being determined. He said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had directed the launch of an immediate inquiry, adding the provincial government shared the grief of the families and the martyrs.