Militants kill 15 police officers in suicide bombing attack on Bannu post

At least 15 police officers were killed and three others wounded in an overnight militant attack on a police post in northwestern Pakistan's Bannu district, police said Sunday.

Militants first detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at the Fateh Khel post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late Saturday, then launched a follow-up assault on the site.

What happened in the Bannu police post attack?

Militants rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu district late Saturday night, destroying the post entirely. They then launched a gun assault on the site.

At least 15 officers were killed and three others were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital for treatment.

How did the attack unfold?

Regional police officer Sajjad Khan said the bombing completely destroyed the police post. Authorities deployed additional police contingents to the area following the attack.

Security forces cordoned off the site and launched search-and-strike operations in surrounding areas to track down the attackers.

Local residents reported hearing at least four explosions during the assault, audible from distant areas and causing fear among nearby communities.

Residents also said civilian areas close to the post appeared to sustain damage from the blasts. Search and rescue operations were still underway after the initial response, a police official said.

Which group claimed responsibility for the Bannu attack?

The banned militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, known as IMP, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Khan vowed that police in Bannu remained determined and that security forces would pursue those responsible. He said operations aimed at eliminating militancy from the region would continue.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack and instructed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to the wounded.

He said the sacrifices of the officers killed would not go in vain. Afridi pledged that efforts would continue until the complete eradication of terrorism from the region.

Why does Bannu face repeated militant attacks?

Bannu lies near Pakistan's former tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan, a corridor that has experienced sustained militant violence for years.

Several armed groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, IMP and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, remain active in the region. They have repeatedly targeted security forces, government officials and state installations across the area.

Pakistan has conducted multiple counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years, but attacks have continued amid persistent security challenges in the rugged border region.