At least twelve policemen have been killed after a deadly car bomb explosion targeted a police post in Bannu, northwestern Pakistan, in what authorities describe as one of the latest major attacks in the country’s worsening security crisis.
According to security officials, the violent assault began when attackers detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at the police facility before armed militants engaged security personnel in a fierce gun battle that lasted several minutes.
A senior police officer confirmed the casualties on Sunday, revealing that twelve officers lost their lives in the coordinated attack while several others sustained injuries during the confrontation.
The officer disclosed that three security personnel were later found alive and immediately transferred to a hospital for urgent medical treatment after the deadly assault.
The attack in Bannu adds to the growing wave of terror incidents shaking Pakistan in recent weeks, particularly in the country’s northwestern region where militant groups linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have intensified operations against military formations and police units.
Security concerns have continued to escalate following multiple deadly incidents across the country.
In South Waziristan, Pakistani security forces recently repelled an attempted infiltration by militants crossing from the Afghan border. Although thirteen fighters were reportedly killed during the operation, mortar shells fired during the exchange struck civilian communities, killing three children and sparking outrage over the impact of the violence on innocent residents.
In another attack in Tank district, seven police officers were killed after a roadside bomb exploded near their patrol vehicle. The TTP later claimed responsibility for the bombing, reinforcing fears that militant networks remain deeply active despite ongoing military crackdowns.
The violence has also spread beyond border regions into major urban centres. Earlier this year, a suicide bomber attacked a Shia mosque in Islamabad during prayers, killing at least 31 worshippers and leaving dozens injured in one of the deadliest sectarian attacks recorded in the capital in recent times.
The latest Bannu bombing is expected to increase pressure on Pakistani authorities and security agencies already battling growing instability, insurgency threats, and fears of renewed extremist expansion across the country.