Casualties reported after attack on Bannu Cantt; security forces retaliate – Pakistan

Casualties were reported after a group of terrorists attacked the Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, according to reports, as security forces retaliated to foil the attempt.

“Suicide bombers rammed two explosives-laden vehicles into the entrance gate of Bannu Cantonment, triggering massive explosions … after which multiple terrorists attempted to storm the compound,” a senior district police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “Security forces present at the scene engaged them in a gunfight.”

Meanwhile, security sources said six terrorists have been killed so far.

Further details regarding the attack have yet to emerge but a video shared of the alleged incident by news outlet Khorasan Diary on X showed twin plumes of smoke in the air while gunfire could be heard in the background.

Locals said that a roof of a nearby mosque collapsed due to the impact of a blast, causing casualties, while houses in the vicinity were damaged as well. Noman Khattab, spokesperson for the District Headquarters Hospital, said nine bodies of civilians and 20 injured people were brought to the hospital for treatment.

The same figure has been reported by Dawn’s correspondent in KP, as well as AFP via a senior police official.

Khattab said that an emergency has been declared in all district hospitals while staff have been recalled for duties, including those off duty.

The Inter Services Public Relations has not commented on the incident so far while a statement by the office of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned what it said was a “blast” in Bannu district.

It said the chief minister expressed grief over the incident and sought a report from senior police officials. The statement added that the chief minister was also saddened by the loss of life in the incident without specifying the nature of the attack or casualties.

CM Gandapur directed the district administration to ensure timely medical assistance to the injured.

“Such incidents in the holy month of Ramazan are highly condemnable and unfortunate,” the statement quoted him as saying.

Last year in July 2024, a terrorist attack targeting Bannu Cantonment had martyred eight members of the security forces while a retaliatory operation killed 10 terrorists. The attack was carried out by the Afghanistan-based proscribed Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

February saw a marginal increase in terrorist attacks but a sharp surge in civilian casualties, according to a report published by the Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The report tallying terrorist attacks across Pakistan in February was published after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy in North Waziristan on Sunday, martyring two soldiers and injuring 10 others.

According to PICSS, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured. Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, it said.

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.

Additional reporting by Arif Hayat.