'Physical involvement of Afghan nationals' in Bannu Cantonment, claims Pakistan army

Peshawar: Intelligence reports “unequivocally confirm the physical involvement of Afghan nationals” in the terror attack in northwest Pakistan in which five soldiers, 13 civilians and 16 terrorists, including four suicide bombers, were killed, the army said Wednesday.

Till late Tuesday night, there were reports of death of 12 civilians, including four children, as two explosive-laden vehicles rammed into the boundary wall of the main cantonment in Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while the army personnel killed at least six terrorists.

Following the suicide attack on the Bannu Cantonment, about 200 kilometres south-west of Peshawar, Pakistan army said it reserves the right to take necessary measures in response to the threats emanating from across the border.

Islamabad “expects the interim Afghan government to uphold its responsibilities and deny its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army, said in a statement.

The ISPR statement noted that intelligence reports “unequivocally confirmed the physical involvement of Afghan nationals in this heinous act, with evidence also pointing to the fact that the attack was orchestrated and directed by khwarij ring leaders operating from Afghanistan.” The term 'khwarij' refers to a group in early Islamic history which was involved in violence and the Pakistan army uses it for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Hafiz Gul Bahadur-affiliated little known Jaish Al Fursan, in a statement, had claimed the attack in Bannu. The group is one of the several factions of TTP.

As the terrorists rammed the explosives-laden vehicles into the perimeter wall of the Bannu Cantonment, several terrorists attempted to enter the high-security zone, the troops engaged the intruders with precision, killing all 16 terrorists, including four suicide bombers, the ISPR said.

In the intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, who put up a heroic resistance, were killed in the line of duty, the ISPR added.

Meanwhile, 13 civilians lost their lives while 32 were injured as a result of a mosque and a residential building suffering “severe destruction” due to the impact of the the suicide blasts.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and province's Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and an inquiry into the incident has been ordered.

Islamabad has consistently voiced concerns that the banned TTP uses Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan, asking the Afghan interim government to rein in the group; Kabul has denied the allegations.

Last month, the ISPR said an Afghan national “involved in terrorism inside Pakistan” was killed during an operation in the province's North Waziristan district.

That operation was carried out within a month of Pakistan repatriating the body of an Afghan national involved in terrorist activities and killed in a counterterrorism operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district.

Earlier in December, in a press conference, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said terrorist outfits were being provided “sanctuaries, support, and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory.”

Bannu has witnessed several militant attacks over the past several months. On February 8 this year, two policemen died when terrorists attacked a police post in the Fateh Khel area of the district.

On November 20 last year, 12 troops were killed in a suicide attack on a security check post in the Mali Khel area of the district.

On October 14, security forces foiled a gun and bomb attack on Iqbal Shaheed Police Lines and killed five militants who wearing burqas and suicide vests. Four police officials died during the operation.

In July 2024, a terrorist attack targeting Bannu Cantonment had seen death of eight personnel from the security forces while a retaliatory operation killed 10 terrorists.

The ISPR statement had attributed that attack to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, “which operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well.”

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces after the banned TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

February saw a marginal increase in terrorist attacks but a sharp surge in civilian casualties, according to a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

According to PICSS, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured.

Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, the report said.