Suicide car bombing kills three police officers in Pakistan

A car bombing at a police station in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwestern Pakistan, on Saturday evening killed at least three police officers. According to police and security sources, the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber and multiple gunmen who drove a vehicle packed with explosives into the security post.

Police official Zahid Khan said the blast collapsed the police station, followed by several other explosions. Local media reported that a nearby residential area also suffered heavy damage, with two civilians wounded.

After the bombing, police forces arriving at the scene to provide support were ambushed, Reuters reported quoting security officials. Police sources said the attackers also used a drone during the assault. Police officer Sajjad Khan expressed concern that casualties could rise, as clashes were ongoing and the full extent of damage would only be determined after the operation ends.

Ambulances from rescue agencies and the civil hospital were dispatched to the scene, and a state of emergency was declared at public hospitals in Bannu.

No group has claimed responsibility. However, similar attacks in the past have often been carried out by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and allied militant groups. The TTP is a separate organization but frequently linked to the Afghan Taliban, which has been in power in Afghanistan since 2021.

Border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated since early 2025 after Islamabad launched airstrikes on Afghan territory in retaliation for militant attacks. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militant groups that use Afghan soil to plan attacks on Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denies this allegation, arguing that the insurgency in Pakistan is an internal issue.