Bannu | Pakistan

BANNU: Three polio workers abducted by militants on Wednesday have been safely recovered through coordinated efforts by the police and local jirga elders, police said. Under the leadership of the Bannu district police officer (DPO), the police initiated immediate action following the incident. A comprehensive strategy was adopted by taking local jirga elders into confidence. Due to the successful mediation by the jirga and the professional competence of the police, the abducted workers were safely recovered. Bannu DPO Yasir Afridi, while confirming the development, told Dawn that “with a lot of efforts, they have been recovered”. The three polio workers were abducted by unidentified militants in the Jhandu Khel area on Wednesday during the ongoing anti-polio campaign, sparking serious concern in the area. Earlier this week, a police constable was martyred and four others were injured in an attack on a law enforcement party en route to provide security for polio teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district. Th...

BANNU: A suicide car bomb attack at the Domel Police Station in Bannu killed at least five civilians, while 13 others were injured, including one policeman. Among the deceased are a husband, wife, daughter, and son from the same family. The explosion occurred when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the rear side of the police station, triggering a massive blast followed by an exchange of gunfire. The intensity of the explosion was so powerful that it was heard miles away. According to initial reports, the blast completely destroyed the sentry post of the police station, while a large portion of the building was reduced to rubble. Citizens engage in relief activities on Friday morning after the suicide bombing. — Photo by author The explosion also caused severe damage to nearby residential areas, with multiple houses collapsing and several people trapped under the debris. According to Rescue 1122, the injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals, where some are reported to be in critical condition...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the suicide attack on a police station in the Domel area of Bannu.

Policeman martyred in Bannu attack

BANNU: A head constable was martyred when a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district came under attack on Saturday, with the ensuing fire exchange killing two terrorists, according to police. Militants attacked a police vehicle in the Sheikhan Mama Khel area, within the jurisdiction of Haved Police Station, resulting in the martyrdom of Head Constable Dilnawaz Khan and injuries to three other police personnel. According to police, militants opened sudden fire on the vehicle while the police party was on routine duty, to which the police responded with effective retaliatory action. The attackers set the police vehicle on fire after the assault. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan confirmed that two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire, while around four others were injured. Police also took two motorcycles of the attackers into custody, and a search operation is underway in the area. RPO Khan also visited the hospital and inquired after the injured personnel. In a separate incident...

MIRANSHAH: At least one person was killed and 19 others, including two security personnel, were injured in a blast near the Chashma Sarbandki checkpost on the Bannu–Miranshah main road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Friday, police and hospital officials said. Police sources told Dawn that initial information showed that the blast was caused by the detonation of explosives in a vehicle near the checkpost. The Bannu–Miranshah road was closed for traffic following the incident. Miranshah district headquarters hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Iqbal told Dawn that the condition of four people among the injured was critical. He said an emergency had been declared at the hospital following the incident. Police officials told Dawn that the area where the incident took place had been cordoned off, further investigation was under way and evidence was being collected. The incident comes roughly three weeks after two people were killed and 17 others injured in a powerful explosion near Miryan...

BANNU: A tragic incident during Taraweeh prayers on Wednesday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district has left the area in mourning after militants raided a mosque and abducted three brothers, two of whom were police personnel. Eyewitnesses reported that 10–12 armed men entered the mosque, held worshippers hostage, and abducted three brothers before fleeing to an unknown location. The abducted individuals were identified as Saeed Akhtar, a clerk at the commissioner’s office, and Amjad and Hazratullah serving in the Wazir subdivision’s police force. Police officials confirmed that the two abducted police personnel were later brutally killed and their bodies were dumped along Marwat Canal Road, while the third brother remains missing. Local Chairman Masoom Wazir said he received information about two bodies and, upon reaching the site, found both victims covered in blood. The bodies were immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital. RPO Bannu Sajjad Khan stated that the kidnappers were affiliated with...

ISLAMABAD - Security forces on Saturday killed five khwarij terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Bannu district, while a lieutenant colonel and a soldier embraced martyrdom when a khwarij rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into one of the vehicles of the leading group.

A lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred in a suicide attack during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. In a press release, ISPR said a security forces’ convoy was “targeted by Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij” while an IBO was being conducted on the reported presence of terrorists, including a suicide bomber. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The military’s media wing added that five terrorists were also killed during the operation. “A vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group, foiling his nefarious design to target innocent civilians/law enforcement personnel in Bannu City, averting major catastrophe,” the ISPR stated. It added that the terrorists were located during the operation and after an “intense fire exchange, five khwarij were sent to hell by the security forces”. The statement added: “However,...

PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed and 17 others injured in a powerful explosion near Miryan Police Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Monday. According to a statement by the police, the blast occurred when a time bomb planted in a motorcycle detonated. A child was among those killed in the explosion. Police sources said the blast took place near shops located in front of the station. Although police personnel remained unharmed, civilians in the vicinity were caught in the blast. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) spokesperson, Muhammad Noman Khattab, stated that the victims were brought to District Headquarters Hospital and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital. Rescue 1122 officials said emergency teams promptly reached the scene and moved the bodies and injured to nearby hospitals. Following the incident, a heavy contingent of the Bannu police reached the scene, along with the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and the Quick Response Force ...

PESHAWAR: Militants allegedly kidnapped a CPEC policeman and set his house on fire in the Dogar Umarzai area in Bannu district, destroying three rooms and household belongings. Local sources reported that around 40 to 50 armed militants entered the house, abducted the constable, and later set the house ablaze. According to police sources, the kidnapped constable has been identified as Qadeer who was serving in the CPEC Police. The incident caused panic and fear among the family members and residents of the area. Authorities stated that investigations are underway from multiple angles. Firing incident at journalist’s residence In a separate incident, unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at the residence of the former president of Bannu Press Club and ARY News correspondent Ihsan Khattak late on Thursday night. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Khattak stated that suspicious motorcyclists had previously been seen around his residence, after which he had submitted an application against unidentified in...

BANNU: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday conducted an intelligence-based operation and arrested a most-wanted terrorist, Osama alias Baghi, from the Pipal Bazaar area. According to a statement issued by Bannu CTD Superintendent of Police (SP) Fazal Wahid, the suspect belonged to Bannu district and was said to be an active commander of the newly formed organisation Ittehadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), established through a collaboration between the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Gul Bahadur group. He said that the suspect confessed to his involvement in nine major terrorist activities during the initial interrogation. He said that these included the December 2025 attack on Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali Khan, in which he was martyred along with his two security guards and a civilian. The suspect also confessed to the abduction and killing of former Bannu station house officer Abid Wazir in November 2025. Additionally, he also admitted to his involvement in the abductio...

PESHAWAR: A major terrorist attack on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was foiled on Wednesday, with security forces killing three attackers and injuring nine others. Terrorists launched a late-night assault on the Khonia Khel Police Post in the district’s Wazir sub-division with heavy weapons, intending to seize control of the facility. A large number of attackers attempted to surround the police post, however, police personnel deployed at the installation were alert and responded to the threat promptly. The effective response by the law enforcers forced the militants to retreat. On the directives of RPO Bannu Sajjad Khan and DPO Bannu Yasir Afridi, additional police contingents, along with Quick Response Force (QRF) and Rapid Response Force (RRF) units, were immediately dispatched to the scene, compelling the militants to flee. According to a press release issued by the police, three terrorists were killed and nine others were injured during the operation, dealing a significant blow to t...

BANNU: Five terrorists, including a ‘commander’, were gunned down in a sec­urity operation in Bannu’s Domel tehsil, which also resulted in the death of three civilians and injuries to several others. The operation, which continued from morning till evening, was launched in the Sperka and Kotka Akbar Ali Khan areas of the tehsil and at least seven militants were inju­red in the heavy shootout. The security forces targeted the terrorists’ hideouts with more than 25 quadcopter strikes, while a heavy exchange of fire continued throughout the clashes, sources claimed. The slain commander was identified as Zewaran alias Al-Badri, who was wanted in several cases. Following the operation, continuous surveillance by drones and helicopters was being carried out in the region to round up the remaining terrorists trying to flee the area. According to locals, the operation also resulted in the death of three civilians, including two women, whose bodies were retrieved from a house in the afternoon. A local resident told Da...

PESHAWAR: At least three terrorists were killed on Thursday after security forces launched a large-scale operation in the Domel tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district. A police statement said several terrorists were also injured in clashes with security forces. The operation was launched in the tehsil’s Sperka and Kotka Akbar Ali Khan area. During the operation, security forces have targeted militant hideouts with more than 25 quadcopter strikes, while a heavy exchange of fire continues in the area. The operation is being supervised by senior police and security officials who are also present in the field. Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest terrorists attempting to flee, which is still ongoing. Continuous surveillance by drones and helicopters is being carried out in the region, indicating the sensitive nature and importance of the operation. The objective, security forces said, is to completely clear the area and restore law and order. Meanwhile, local...

Two terrorists were killed in retaliatory fire after they attacked a Domail police mobile van on Chashmi Road in Bannu on Sunday night, police sources said.

A peace committee member in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was shot dead in a targeted killing near an Afghan refugee camp, while his cousin sustained serious injuries, the police said on Sunday. “The incident took place at the Afghan Refugees Camp in Domel tehsil, and the victims have been identified as Khwajatullah and Naseemullah,” the police said. “Both belonged to Gangi Khel.” The statement added that the incident occurred when Khwajatullah and Naseemullah were at a shop in Tehsil Colony to purchase groceries. “At that moment, two unidentified armed men arrived and opened indiscriminate fire on them,” it read. “As a result of the firing, Khwajatullah died on the spot, while Naseemullah was injured. The injured person was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he is currently under medical treatment.” In his statement to Domel Police, Naseemullah stated that the attack was sudden and that they had no personal enmity or dispute with anyone. District Police Officer Yasir Afridi said, “Investigat...

BANNU: A target killing incident occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Sunday, where unknown assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on a policeman, killing him on the spot. According to a police statement, the incident occurred in the district’s Mamma Khel area, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Haved Police Station. It added that the martyred policeman was deployed at the Mazanga police checkpoint when he was attacked. District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi said, “The martyred policeman, identified as Iqbal, was in his native village of Akhund Mamma Khel, when he was shot.” “After offering evening prayers, he was on his way back home when motorcycle riders opened fire on him in front of his house, killing him on the spot,” the DPO added. Following the incident, a heavy contingent of police reached the scene, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation, while further investigation into the incident is underway. The security situation in KP has worsened over the last th...

Armed assailants killed four members of a peace committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Tuesday, confirmed police. The incident took place in the Gulbadin Landi Dak area of Bannu district. According to a senior official of the district police, the victims were all travelling in the same vehicle when armed men opened “indiscriminate fire” on them. Of the four victims, two were identified as a father and son. They all died on the spot, the official added. Local sources said that the peace committee in the area has taken up arms in self-defense to resist militants, leading to an extremely tense situation in the area. The police official further said that an investigation into the attack has been initiated, but added that it was too early to declare it an act of terrorism. Attacks on peace committee members in KP have been on the rise in recent months. In November 2025, seven people were killed when a peace committee office was attacked in Bannu. Meanwhile, in October, a member of a tribal peace commi...

Four members of a local peace committee were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Tuesday, police said, in the latest incident in a renewed wave of militant violence in the province.