Bomber and several fighters detonate explosives-laden vehicle near security post in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near Afghanistan.
Published On 9 May 2026
A car bombing at a police post, followed by an intense firefight, has killed at least 12 officers in northwestern Pakistan, according to police and security sources.
The attack took place in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, late on Saturday.
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An alliance of armed groups, known as the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, has claimed responsibility.
Police official Zahid Khan told The Associated Press news agency that a suicide bomber and several fighters detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a security post. Shortly after, multiple explosions were heard, and the security post collapsed from the impact of the blast, he said.
Images after the attack on Saturday showed the police post had been reduced to rubble, with bricks, charred wreckage, and mangled vehicles scattered around the area.
The Reuters news agency, citing security officials, reported that after the bombing, there was an ambush on police personnel rushing to the scene to provide backup.
A police official who asked not to be identified told Reuters armed men first rammed into the post with an explosive-filled car and then entered the premises and began firing on the officers.
“Other law enforcement personnel were sent to help the police, but the terrorists ambushed them and caused some casualties,” he said.
Police sources said the attackers also used drones in the attack.
Police official Sajjad Khan told Reuters that more casualties were feared. He added that fighting was ongoing and the extent of the damage would only be known once the operation was over.
Pakistan’s Dawn reported that nearby civilian areas also suffered severe damage due to the blasts, and two civilians were wounded.
Ambulances from rescue agencies and civil hospitals were dispatched to the scene, with officials saying a state of emergency has been declared in government hospitals in Bannu.
Attacks may reignite fighting along Afghan border
The worst fighting in years erupted between the allies-turned-foes in February, with Pakistani air attacks inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted fighters’ strongholds.
Fighting has since eased, with occasional skirmishes breaking out along the border, but no official ceasefire has been brokered.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring armed groups who use Afghan soil to plot attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban has denied the allegations and said armed rebellion in Pakistan is an internal problem.
The Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and allied fighter groups have carried out similar attacks in the past. The Pakistan Taliban is a separate group but is ideologically aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which seized power in the country in 2021.
