ISLAMABAD: Five soldiers and thirteen civilians were killed as militants rammed two explosive-filled vehicles into the boundary wall of a military cantonment in northwestern Pakistan, the army said on Wednesday, as the country faces a surge in terror attacks. 

The assault, which involved “multiple suicide blasts,” took place on Tuesday in Bannu, which is in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. The military’s media wing said in a statement militants had sought to breach Bannu cantonment’s security, causing the partial collapse of its perimeter wall and damaging nearby buildings.

The KP province has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent years that Pakistan blames on insurgents harboring in Afghanistan. Kabul denies it provides refuge to militants and says Pakistan’s security challenges are a domestic issue. 

“Our valiant troops engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating all sixteen terrorists, including four suicide bombers. In this intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, after putting up a heroic resistance, embraced martyrdom in the line of duty,” the army said in a statement. 

The latest attack occurred in an area adjacent to a local market after sunset, when people were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Video clips circulating on social media showed thick grey plumes of smoke rising into the air as gunshots rang out.

The army said a mosque and a civilian residential building close to the military facility were damaged in the attack, killing thirteen civilians and injuring 32.

Intelligence reports had “unequivocally confirmed the physical involvement of Afghan nationals in this heinous act,” the military said, adding that evidence proved the attack was orchestrated and directed by insurgents operating from Afghanistan.

“Pakistan expects the Interim Afghan Government to uphold its responsibilities and deny its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan. Pakistan reserves the right to take necessary measures in response to these threats emanating from across the border,” the military concluded. 

Jaish-e-Fursan Muhammad, a militant faction affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released to media, saying dozens of security officials had been killed in the assault. 

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban authorities in Kabul of facilitating cross-border militant attacks, a charge Afghan authorities deny. 

The TTP was formed in 2007 as an umbrella organization of various hard-line groups operating individually in Pakistan.

The TTP pledges allegiance to, and gets its name from, the Afghan Taliban, but is not directly a part of the group that now rules Afghanistan. Its stated aim is to impose Islamic religious law in Pakistan, as the Taliban have done in Afghanistan.

The TTP is responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan, including on churches and schools and the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, who survived the 2012 attack after she was targeted for her campaign against the Taliban’s efforts to deny women education.

Militants have targeted Bannu several times in the past also. Last November, a suicide car bomb killed 12 troops and wounded several others at a security post. In July, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle and other militants opened fire near the outer wall of the military facility.
 

PESHAWAR: Schools and shops closed as residents of a northwestern Pakistani city prepared for the funeral ceremonies on Wednesday for 12 people killed in a twin suicide bombing that targeted a military base the day before.
A militant group linked with the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing in Bannu on Tuesday evening when two suicide bombers breached the wall surrounding the base.
Most of the local residents were breaking their daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan or praying at a nearby mosque.
After the explosions, other attackers stormed the compound and set off a firefight with the troops.
The powerful blasts tore through walls and ripped off roofs and also severely damaged the mosque. Along with the 12 killed, 30 people were also wounded in the attack, some of whom were reported to be in critical condition.
The casualty figures did not include troops. It was not immediately known how many security forces were killed or injured in the assault or the subsequent gunfight.
On Wednesday, a mechanical digger was clearing away rubble where homes used to stand, and debris-covered prayer mats lay crumpled on the mosque floor.
A day of mourning was being observed, said Bannu community elder Alam Khan, and joint funeral prayers were to be held for the victims at a sports complex in the area.
Gunshots could still be heard early on Wednesday as security forces combed through the area, looking to clear it of any militants involved in the attack.
“All education institutions are closed,” Khan said. “Most shops are also shut. Rescue workers have completed their operation by recovering the bodies of three deceased worshippers who were trapped under the collapsed roof of the mosque.”
Bannu is located in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan, and several armed groups are active there. A group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, Jaish Al-Fursan, has claimed responsibility for the attack.