At least 14 police officers were killed in a coordinated car bombing and armed assault on a police post in north-western Pakistan, officials said.
The attack took place on Saturday when militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police outpost, triggering a powerful blast that destroyed the structure and reduced it to rubble.
Images from the scene in Bannu showed collapsed walls, burned vehicles and debris scattered across the area after the explosion and subsequent gunfire.
Police official Sajjad Khan said 14 bodies were recovered from the destroyed post, while three other officers were found alive and taken to hospital for treatment.
A senior police source, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said attackers stormed the post immediately after the explosion and opened fire on surviving officers.
Reinforcements sent to the scene were also ambushed, resulting in further casualties, the source added.
Officials said militants also deployed drones during the assault, indicating an escalation in tactics used in the region.
Rescue teams and ambulances rushed to the site, while hospitals in the district declared a state of emergency to manage casualties.
A militant group, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident came amid continuing insecurity along Pakistan’s border areas, where militant activity persisted despite a decline in large-scale clashes in recent months.
Tensions remained high between Pakistan and Afghanistan over accusations from Islamabad that militant groups operated from across the border, claims denied by the Taliban authorities.
Erizia Rubyjeana
