14 officers lose their lives in a car bombing and ambush at a police station in Pakistan
A car bombing and armed ambush on a police post in northwest Pakistan has resulted in the deaths of at least 14 officers, according to officials.
Officials reported that a coordinated car bombing and armed assault on a police post in north-western Pakistan resulted in the deaths of at least 14 police officers.
On Saturday, militants drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a police outpost, causing a powerful explosion that obliterated the structure, leaving it in ruins.
Images from the scene in Bannu depicted collapsed walls, burned vehicles, and debris strewn across the area following the explosion and ensuing gunfire.
Police official Sajjad Khan reported that 14 bodies were retrieved from the devastated post, while three additional officers were discovered alive and transported to the hospital for medical care.
A senior police source, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to comment publicly, reported that attackers rushed the post right after the explosion and began firing at the surviving officers.
The source reported that attackers also ambushed the reinforcements dispatched to the scene, resulting in additional casualties.
Officials reported that militants utilized drones during the assault, suggesting a heightened level of tactics employed in the region.
Rescue teams and ambulances hurried to the location, as hospitals in the district announced a state of emergency to handle the influx of casualties.
A militant group known as Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of ongoing insecurity in Pakistan’s border regions, where militant activity has remained prevalent despite a reduction in significant clashes recently.
Tensions persisted between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to Islamabad’s accusations that militant groups were operating from across the border, a claim that the Taliban authorities have denied.
