Suicide car bombing and gun attack on police post leave 21 dead in Pakistan

At least 21 police personnel were killed in a car bomb attack followed by a gunfight in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghanistan border. The attack took place late Saturday in Bannu district when an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a police security post before armed attackers launched an assault on security personnel. Several injured people were also admitted to hospital following the attack.

According to police and security officials, a suicide bomber detonated the vehicle near the security checkpoint, triggering multiple explosions that caused the police post to collapse. The blast left the area covered with debris, damaged vehicles, and charred wreckage. Police sources said the attackers later opened fire on the security personnel stationed there, leading to an intense firefight.

Investigators said additional law enforcement personnel who rushed to the scene after the explosion were also ambushed by the attackers. Security officials stated that the attackers used drones during the assault. Nearby civilian areas reportedly suffered damage from the explosions, and at least two civilians were injured in the incident. Ambulances and rescue teams were deployed immediately, while government hospitals in Bannu were placed on emergency alert.

An alliance of armed groups identified as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack. Security officials said the assault bore similarities to previous attacks carried out by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and allied groups operating in the region. The Bannu district is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan and has witnessed repeated militant attacks in recent years.

The attack came amid continuing tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan of allowing armed groups to use Afghan territory to plan attacks inside Pakistan, allegations denied by Kabul. Earlier clashes and air strikes between the two sides had increased tensions in the border region, although no formal ceasefire arrangement has been announced.