Three Police Officers Killed as Militants Launch Suicide Attack on Police Post in Northwest Pakistan

At least three police officers were killed after a suicide bomber and heavily armed gunmen launched a coordinated attack on a security post in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said on Saturday.

The attack occurred in the Bannu district near the Afghan border, a region that has witnessed increasing militant violence in recent years. According to security officials, the assailants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the security facility before opening fire on officers stationed at the post.

The massive explosion destroyed parts of the security installation and nearby buildings, trapping several people under the rubble as security forces exchanged gunfire with the attackers for hours.

Police officials confirmed that at least three officers were killed, while several others sustained injuries. Rescue teams and emergency responders were deployed to the scene as authorities launched clearance operations.

Initial reports suggested the death toll could rise, with some officers feared trapped beneath collapsed structures. Hospitals in the area were placed on emergency alert to receive victims of the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion has fallen on the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified attacks against security forces in regions bordering Afghanistan.

However, later reports indicated that a militant faction known as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the assault. Pakistani authorities believe the group is linked to the TTP.

Pakistan has experienced a resurgence in militant attacks since the collapse of a ceasefire agreement between the government and the TTP in 2022. Islamabad has repeatedly accused militants of operating from sanctuaries across the Afghan border, allegations denied by the Afghan Taliban administration.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.