At least 12 police officers have been killed and five others injured after militants carried out a coordinated assault involving a car bomb and gunfire at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan.
According to officials, the attack occurred late Saturday in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu, located in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Last night in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpoint, after which multiple militants entered the post,” Bannu police official Muhammad Sajjad Khan told AFP.
He confirmed that 12 officers died in the attack, while one officer remains missing.
Authorities said the assault marks another escalation in militancy in the border region, which has seen a surge in attacks in recent years.
Following the explosion, armed militants stormed the checkpoint and engaged security forces in a prolonged gunfight.
“During the assault, the militants used quadcopters along with heavy weaponry,” a senior administrative official in Bannu told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The official added that the attackers also abducted some police personnel and seized weapons while withdrawing from the area.
“In addition, while retreating, the attackers took police personnel and weapons from the station with them,” he said.
Security sources said the use of drones and coordinated tactics highlights the evolving capabilities of militant groups operating in the region.
Bannu and surrounding areas have remained hotspots of insurgent activity amid rising tensions between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.
The Taliban-led government in Kabul has repeatedly denied accusations from Islamabad that Afghan territory is being used as a safe haven for militants.
However, relations between both countries have deteriorated sharply, with cross-border clashes and reported airstrikes further straining diplomatic ties.
