Militants Kill at Least 15 in Car Bomb and Gun Attack on Pakistan Police Post

Militants detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Bannu in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday and then stormed the site, opening fire on officers and ambushing reinforcements, officials said. At least 15 police were killed and three wounded, with most of those on duty at the post feared dead and the installation destroyed.

A police official said the attackers first used an explosives-laden vehicle before militants entered the premises and fired on personnel. Reinforcements sent to assist came under ambush, causing additional casualties. Police sources said the militants also deployed small drones during the assault.

Residents gathered on the rubble of the damaged police post the following day as ambulances transported the wounded. Officials declared a state of emergency at government hospitals in Bannu to handle the casualties. The fighting continued for hours after the initial blast, delaying a full assessment of the damage.

A militant alliance known as the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident comes amid persistent militant activity in the region that has the potential to reignite broader fighting along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The worst clashes in years between Pakistani forces and militants based in Afghanistan occurred in February, when Islamabad conducted airstrikes on what it described as militant strongholds. Skirmishes have continued intermittently since then, though no formal ceasefire has been established.

Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused Afghan authorities of sheltering militants who cross the border to stage attacks.

“The terrorists first attacked the police post with an explosives-laden car, and then militants entered its premises and opened fire on the police personnel.”