DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
At least four policemen were martyred after terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Fateh Khel police check post in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday night, triggering a massive explosion that completely destroyed the post and left several personnel trapped under the rubble.
According to initial reports, terrorists belonging to the illegal Khawarij network carried out the suicide attack by detonating a vehicle packed with explosives at the checkpoint.
The explosion was so powerful that its sound was heard in distant areas, while the explosion also caused extensive damage to nearby houses and civilian structures.
Rescue operations continued amid fears that more personnel remained buried under the rubble.
Meanwhile, security forces clashed with terrorists in an ongoing gunfight in the area.
Hospital sources identified the martyred police officers as Rehmat Ayaz, driver Sohaib and constable Niaz Ali, while the injured included Feroz and Hayatullah.
Eyewitnesses said the police checkpoint was completely destroyed by the explosion, with several officers trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
In addition, the roofs of several nearby houses also collapsed due to the intensity of the explosion.
Police sources said the bodies of 10 policemen had been recovered from the checkpoint and were being shifted to the Central District Hospital in Bannu.
However, official confirmation on the total number of victims was still awaited until the presentation of this report.
Authorities said rescue efforts were being severely hampered by darkness and the continued threat of terrorist ambushes against police and incoming rescue teams.
Security officials feared that terrorists could launch follow-up attacks against first responders participating in relief efforts.
Shortly after the attack, large contingents of police and security forces cordoned off the area and launched a clearance operation.
According to the latest reports, an intense exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists is still going on.
Meanwhile, authorities denied reports circulating on social media claiming that Bannu Cantonment had been the target of a suicide attack and clarified that the attack specifically targeted the Fateh Khel police station.
