At least 15 police personnel were martyred and three others injured late Saturday night when terrorists carried out a deadly coordinated attack on the Fateh Khel police checkpoint in Bannu District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the checkpoint, triggering a massive explosion that completely reduced the post to rubble. A total of 18 police personnel were present at the time of the attack. The blast was so powerful that it was heard across distant parts of the district and caused the roofs of several nearby homes to collapse, leaving civilian properties heavily damaged.
Coordinated Military-Style Assault
Following the initial explosion, terrorists launched a full coordinated assault on the checkpoint, opening heavy fire from multiple directions. During the attack, militants used quadcopter drones along with heavy weaponry a deeply alarming development in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism. More than 100 terrorists are reported to have taken part in the attack. Communication with the Fateh Khel police post was also briefly lost following the blast.
An armoured vehicle stationed at the checkpoint was also completely destroyed in the attack.
Rescue Operation Under Dangerous Conditions
Rescue teams rushed to the site and worked through the night under extremely difficult conditions battling complete darkness and the constant fear of follow-up militant ambushes on emergency responders. Despite these dangers, rescue officials successfully pulled three police officers alive from beneath the rubble. Search and recovery operations continued throughout the night.
The Shaheeds
Bannu police identified the 15 martyred personnel as Rehmat Ayaz, Sanaullah, Niaz Ali, Habib, Saadullah Jan, Kamran son of Khan Sikandar, Kamran, Noorullah, Abid Jani, Imran, Kaleemullah, Sadiqullah, Munir Alam Khan, Rahatullah Khan and Farooq. The three injured officers were identified as Mujrim Feroz, Hayatullah and Qadarullah.
DIG Sajjad Khan personally visited the District Headquarters Hospital late Saturday night to check on the injured officers and review their medical treatment. He vowed that Bannu Police would hunt down the terrorists responsible one by one and ensure their complete elimination from the district.
Who Claimed Responsibility?
A militant alliance known as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.
International Condemnation
Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan strongly condemned the attack, expressing condolences on behalf of the Iranian government and people. Turkey’s Embassy in Pakistan also condemned the attack in the strongest terms, expressing full solidarity with Pakistan and offering prayers for the families of the martyred officers.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also strongly condemned the attack and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached out to the KP Chief Minister by phone, reaffirming the government’s resolve to continue the fight against terrorism.
Bannu — A District Living Under Constant Threat
Bannu has witnessed repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and security personnel coming under attack. Notably, the attack came just one day after a separate incident in which a quadcopter drone crashed in a residential area of Bannu and exploded, injuring eight people including women.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been battling a relentless wave of terrorism since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, with militants frequently crossing the border to carry out attacks on police convoys and security installations. The province continues to record the highest number of terrorist incidents in the entire country. Pakistan blames Kabul for harbouring militants who use Afghan soil to plot attacks inside Pakistan an allegation the Taliban has denied.
