Five policemen injured as TTP terrorists target Bannu Checkpost

BANNU: Five police personnel were injured when terrorists launched a late-night attack on a police checkpost in the Shaikh Landak area of Bannu’s Havaid jurisdiction, officials said on Friday.

According to a statement from the spokesperson for the regional police officer, militants identified as Fitna al Khawarij — a state term used for members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — targeted the post late Thursday night.

Police officials “showed courage and timely action,” managing to repel the assault, the statement added. It said police retaliated with “effective and vigorous fire,” inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers during an exchange that lasted nearly three hours. Reports indicated that several militants were killed or injured.

Armed tribesmen and members of the local peace committee also assisted police during the clash. Five police personnel sustained minor injuries and were shifted to hospital.

On instructions from Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan, additional security forces reached the scene and cordoned off the area. Both the DIG and District Police Officer Yasir Afridi praised the bravery of the police and local residents.

Afridi later visited the injured officers in the hospital, saying Bannu police “stand as a strong wall against the enemies of peace” and that the fight against terrorism would continue “until the last terrorist is eliminated.”

The attack came a day after seven people, including minors, were wounded in a quadcopter strike by terrorists on a playground during a football match, leaving the area tense.

Pakistan continues to face a surge in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the TTP’s decision to end its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies noted a sharp rise in militant attacks and intensified counter-terror operations over the past three months.