BANNU: At least five people, including three women and a child, were martyred while four others sustained serious injuries after a suicide bomber targeted civilians outside a police station in Bannu on Friday, security sources said.
According to officials, militants identified as Fitna al-Khawarij attempted to attack the Domail police station in Bannu district, but the assault failed, resulting in civilian casualties.
The injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving treatment.
Security and rescue teams reached the site soon after the blast and are engaged in clearing debris, providing relief and conducting search operations in the affected area.
The incident comes amid intensified counter-terrorism operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 22 militants have been killed in operations over the past two days.
The military’s media wing said 13 India-backed militants were eliminated during intelligence-based operations in the Bara area of Khyber District and Bannu on April 1.
A day later, eight more militants were neutralised along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in North Waziristan District.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant activity since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, under which hundreds of militants have been killed and many others injured, according to official figures shared by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Earlier, in October 2025, border clashes erupted after Afghan Taliban fighters launched attacks on Pakistani positions, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, including the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers.
Despite multiple rounds of talks, efforts to resolve tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have not yielded a breakthrough, with officials citing a lack of action against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.
