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The attacks come amid a fresh surge in militant violence in northwestern Pakistan, days after a market blast and a deadly ambush on police officers in nearby Bannu district.
Deadly Explosion Rocks Crowded Market in Northwestern Pakistan (Photo: Reuters)
At least 18 Pakistani security personnel were killed and several others injured in a series of coordinated militant attacks targeting security camps and police posts in Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, CNN-News18 has learnt.
According to sources, militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) launched attacks at three separate locations in the tribal district of Bajaur, triggering heavy overnight gun battles and multiple explosions.
The deadliest attack took place at a Frontier Corps (FC) Scouts camp in the Loi Mamund area of Bajaur, where at least 14 security personnel were killed in what officials described as a large-scale assault involving a suicide bomber and heavily armed militants.
Sources said the attack began with a suicide blast at the main gate of the Damangi Scouts camp, after which more than 20 militants stormed the premises and opened indiscriminate fire.
Security forces retaliated immediately, leading to an intense exchange of firing that continued till early morning. Officials said at least nine attackers were killed during the operation.
In two other incidents in Ainai Kiley and Mamund areas, four more policemen were killed, according to sources.
Additional reports indicated that Pakistani security personnel also came under attack in the Mina area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as militants targeted multiple military camps and police stations in a coordinated operation.
Security officials said search and clearance operations were still underway in the affected areas, with fears that the death toll could rise further.
The attacks come amid a sharp rise in militant violence across northwestern Pakistan.
On Tuesday, an explosion at a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan killed at least nine people and injured dozens, according to emergency officials cited by Reuters. The blast took place at Naurang Bazar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a busy market area that forms part of the town square.
The explosion triggered panic as locals rushed to help the injured while emergency teams reached the site. Visuals from the scene showed damaged shops and a badly wrecked vehicle after the blast. Emergency response agency Rescue 1122 said around 30 people were injured in the attack, with several shifted to hospitals in nearby Bannu district for treatment.
The market bombing had come only days after another deadly attack in Bannu district on Saturday, when a car bombing followed by an ambush at a police post killed 15 police officers.
Pakistani authorities had blamed militants allegedly operating from neighbouring Afghanistan for that attack and later lodged a strong protest with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
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