A soldier was martyred and another injured when unknown assailants opened fire on them near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Sunday, according to police officials.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting security forces in the region, reflecting a deteriorating security situation in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Highlights
- One soldier martyred, another injured in firing incident near Ayub fuel station, Miranshah Road, Bannu.
- Police launched an investigation; the body and the injured were shifted to DHQ Hospital.
- Attack comes amid rising wave of terrorism across KP and Balochistan.
- Recent months have seen multiple deadly incidents targeting security personnel in Bannu.
- Authorities link resurgence in violence to the TTP’s end of the ceasefire in 2022.
Attack Near Ayub Fuel Station
Bannu Police spokesperson Kashif Nawaz confirmed to Dawn.com that the attack took place near the Ayub fuel station on Miranshah Road.
“A security personnel was killed and another was injured when they were attacked by unknown assailants near the Ayub fuel station on Miranshah road,” he said.
Police teams rushed to the scene to collect evidence, while the body and the injured soldier were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Bannu. A search operation has been launched in the surrounding areas.
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Surge in Terror Attacks Across KP
Over the past year, Pakistan has witnessed a significant uptick in terrorist activity, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the end of the ceasefire by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022. Since then, the TTP has vowed to target security forces, police, and other law enforcement agencies.
Bannu, along with Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat, and Bajaur, has been particularly hard-hit, experiencing repeated attacks on security personnel and installations.
String of Deadly Incidents in Bannu
This is not an isolated attack. In September, a police constable was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Bannu while on his way to work. On September 2, six soldiers embraced martyrdom while security forces foiled an attack on the Federal Constabulary (FC) Headquarters in Bannu, killing five terrorists.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attackers, described as “Indian-sponsored kharjis (seceders),” attempted to breach perimeter security but were swiftly neutralized by vigilant troops.
Earlier in August, another police constable was martyred during a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Bannu. In that exchange, three terrorists were killed and three policemen were injured.
A Growing Security Challenge
The repeated incidents in Bannu highlight the intensifying security challenge in the region. Security experts point to the resurgence of militant networks, cross-border movements, and TTP’s aggressive posture as key factors behind the surge.
Law enforcement agencies continue to face mounting pressure to strengthen intelligence, improve response times, and secure vulnerable installations in the face of evolving threats.
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