A deadly attack on a military base in northwestern Pakistan has left at least 12 people dead and 30 others injured after two suicide bombings breached the perimeter, followed by a firefight with security forces.
The assault, which took place in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was claimed by Jaish Al-Fursan, a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban.
According to officials and a local hospital, the attackers used explosive-laden vehicles to breach the military compound.
“After a breach in the wall, five to six more attackers attempted to enter the cantonment, but were eliminated,” a security official said on condition of anonymity.
The attack occurred after sunset, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when people would have been breaking their fast.
The explosions and subsequent gunfire left plumes of gray smoke over the area. “The roofs and walls collapsed and that’s why we are receiving casualties,” said Muhammad Noman, a spokesman for Bannu District Hospital.
Hospital director Dr. Ahmed Faraz Khan confirmed: “So far we have received 42 victims, 12 dead and 30 injured. A few of them are critical, but most are stable. All doctors, particularly surgeons and paramedical staff, have been called for duty as a medical emergency has been imposed.”
ALSO READ: Pakistan: Father shoots US teen over TikTok videos
Among the dead were four children, with several nearby homes and buildings sustaining heavy damage. A mosque near the site also suffered severe destruction, with its roof collapsing while worshippers were inside. Rescue teams recovered the body of the mosque’s imam from the rubble.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed sorrow over the loss of life, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur ordered an inquiry.
Bannu has been a repeated target of militant violence. In November, a suicide car bomb killed 12 troops at a security post, and in July, a similar attack targeted the military facility.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then