A car bombing at a police post in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least three police officers and left many more feared dead in a coordinated militant assault, officials say. The attack took place late Saturday on the outskirts of Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area that has seen a resurgence of militant violence in recent years.
According to police official Sajjad Khan, militants first rammed an explosives laden vehicle into the police post, destroying much of the structure and killing officers on duty. Gunmen then stormed the compound and opened fire on surviving personnel, before ambushing additional police teams rushing to the scene as backup.
Khan said that of the roughly 15 officers initially stationed at the post, most are feared dead, though a final death toll will only be known after search and rescue operations are completed. Other security sources quoted in local media put the number of police officers killed at between 12 and 14, with a handful of survivors evacuated to hospital in critical condition.
Security officials also reported that the attackers deployed small drones during the assault, highlighting the increasingly sophisticated tactics being used by militant groups in the region. A militant alliance known as Ittehad ul Mujahideen has reportedly claimed responsibility for the operation, which damaged nearby civilian homes and injured at least two residents.
The Bannu district, bordering North Waziristan and close to Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for groups linked to Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other allied militants. Pakistan has blamed such groups for a string of recent bombings and attacks on security forces, even as it carries out cross border strikes and domestic operations to curb their activities.
Authorities have cordoned off the area around the destroyed police post and launched a manhunt for the attackers, while vowing that the officers who died “laid down their lives for the peaceful future of the nation.” The latest bombing is likely to intensify calls for stronger security measures and renewed pressure on militant safe havens along the Afghan border.
About the author
Car bombing, ambush kill Pakistani police officers in Bannu
A car bombing at a police post in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least three police officers and left many more feared dead in a coordinated militant assault, officials say. The attack took place late Saturday on the outskirts of Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area that has seen a resurgence of militant violence in recent years. According to police official Sajjad Khan, militants first rammed an explosives laden vehicle into the police post, destroying much of the structure and killing officers on duty. Gunmen then stormed the compound and opened fire on surviving personnel, before ambushing additional police teams rushing to the scene as backup. Khan said that of the roughly 15 officers initially stationed at the post, most are feared dead, though a final death toll will only be known after search and rescue operations are completed. […]
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill three, test fragile ceasefire – Medics
Israeli strikes have killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in incidents that underscore the fragility of a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire in place since October 2025. Medics said one person died in an airstrike on the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, while two others were killed in a separate strike in the southern city of Khan Younis. According to Gaza’s Hamas‑run interior ministry, the Khan Younis strike killed Wessam Abdel‑Hadi, head of the Hamas‑run criminal police force, along with one of his aides. Israel has in recent months intensified attacks on Hamas police and internal security targets, which it says the group uses to reassert control in areas under its rule. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the latest incidents. Violence has persisted despite the ceasefire, with Israel carrying out near‑daily strikes and ground operations while […]
Police probe disappearance of NYSC member, lawyer in Abuja amid ₦20m ransom claim
Police authorities in Abuja have opened an investigation into the disappearance of a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and lawyer, Miss Eunice Ameh, following reports that suspected kidnappers are demanding ₦20m ransom from her family. Ameh was declared missing after she failed to return home from work in the Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory. According to family sources, the young lawyer closed from duty at about 5:40 p.m. at Blades and Butchers Ltd., a livestock and value added products company on Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama, where she worked as a Sales Manager while completing her NYSC. She was reportedly heading towards Life Camp, where she resides in a corps members’ lodge, when her phones suddenly became unreachable and all attempts to contact her failed. Her disappearance was first reported to the Maitama Police Division and the […]
2027: Odds favour Obi, Kwankwaso as NDC zones presidency to South
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has formally zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria and the vice‑presidential slot to the North, a move widely seen as boosting the chances of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso emerging as the party’s leading ticket. Delegates at the party’s maiden national convention in Abuja adopted a resolution restricting the presidential ticket to the South for a single four year term, after which power would rotate to the North in 2031. The zoning motion, moved by Afam Victor Ogene, member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was unanimously endorsed by delegates. Party leaders said the arrangement was designed to promote fairness, balance and internal stability while addressing long running agitations over power rotation between regions. Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso publicly backed the decision, telling delegates that zoning the […]
Probe alleged ₦26.9bn USPF scandal, SERAP tells Tinubu
The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order a thorough investigation into an alleged ₦26.9bn scandal involving the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). The group wants the President to direct the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and other relevant authorities to explain how the funds allocated to the USPF have been managed over the years. In a letter similar to its recent petition on alleged missing ₦2.9bn in NIGCOMSAT and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, SERAP argued that the reported mismanagement in the USPF points to systemic weaknesses in oversight of key public institutions in the communications sector. The organisation cited past Auditor General reports and media investigations which raised red flags about possible diversion, unauthorised investments and opaque spending patterns around funds meant to expand telecoms access to rural, […]
Remi Tinubu celebrates Waka Queen Salawa Abeni at 65
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has joined family, fans and associates to celebrate veteran Waka music legend, Queen Salawa Abeni, as she marks her 65th birthday. In a goodwill message, the First Lady described Salawa Abeni as a timeless musical icon whose voice and artistry have inspired generations across Nigeria and beyond. Remi Tinubu praised the singer for flying the flag of indigenous Waka music for decades and for using her talent to promote Yoruba culture, values and positive social messages. She noted that Salawa’s consistency on stage and record has made her a reference point for younger female artists seeking longevity in the industry. Born on May 5, 1961, Salawa Abeni Alidu has been a dominant figure in Nigeria’s traditional and fuji‑adjacent music space since the late 1970s. In 1992, the Alaafin of Oyo formally crowned her the […]
Related
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill three, test fragile ceasefire – Medics
Israeli strikes have killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in incidents that underscore the fragility of a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire in place since October 2025. Medics said one person died in an airstrike on the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, while two others were killed in a separate strike in the southern city of Khan Younis. According to Gaza’s Hamas‑run interior ministry, the Khan Younis strike killed Wessam Abdel‑Hadi, head of the Hamas‑run criminal police force, along with one of his aides. Israel has in recent months intensified attacks on Hamas police and internal security targets, which it says the group uses to reassert control in areas under its rule. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the latest incidents. Violence has persisted despite the ceasefire, with Israel carrying out near‑daily strikes and ground operations while […]
UK medics parachute to virus-hit island
British Army medical teams have parachuted onto the remote island of Tristan da Cunha to assist a British resident suspected of being infected with hantavirus following the outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. The man had left the vessel in mid-April when it stopped at Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited British overseas territory. According to health officials, he began showing symptoms around two weeks later and is currently in stable condition while remaining in isolation. Authorities have now confirmed six hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship outbreak, including two other British nationals receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. The emergency mission involved six paratroopers and two medical specialists from the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade. The team was deployed from RAF Brize Norton and parachuted directly onto the isolated island. Two soldiers […]
Spain evacuates passengers from virus ship
Spain has begun the evacuation of passengers aboard the MS Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak linked to the vessel raised international concern. The cruise ship, anchored near Tenerife in the Canary Islands, arrived before dawn on Sunday, nearly one month after the first passenger death was reported onboard. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said the evacuation operation was progressing under strict sanitary control and confirmed that all passengers currently onboard remain asymptomatic. Passengers and crew are being evacuated in stages according to nationality. Small boats are transporting groups from the ship to the coast, where charter flights are waiting to repatriate them to their respective countries. Spanish nationals are the first to leave the vessel, followed by passengers and crew members being transferred to the Netherlands, including Dutch, Greek and German citizens. Additional flights are expected to depart for the […]
One Nation wins historic seat in Australia
One Nation has secured its first-ever seat in Australia’s lower house of parliament, marking a major breakthrough for the right-wing populist movement and highlighting growing voter frustration with the country’s traditional political parties. The victory came in the regional constituency of Farrer, where One Nation candidate David Farley won comfortably with around 60% of the primary vote after most ballots were counted. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe finished well behind in the contest, which was triggered following the resignation of Sussan Ley from parliament after losing the leadership of the conservative Liberal Party. Although the result does not threaten the strong parliamentary majority of the ruling Australian Labor Party, political analysts see it as another sign of weakening support for Australia’s established political forces. The by-election represented the first federal electoral test for One Nation since the party achieved a strong […]
Péter Magyar sworn in as Hungary PM
Péter Magyar has officially been sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, marking the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year dominance over the country’s political landscape. During the inauguration ceremony at the Hungarian parliament in Budapest, Magyar promised a leadership focused on public service rather than power. “I will not rule over Hungary — I will serve my country,” he declared after taking the oath of office. His party, Tisza Party, secured a historic landslide victory in the recent legislative elections, winning 141 of the 199 parliamentary seats. The result is particularly remarkable given that the movement was founded only two years ago. Large crowds were expected to gather along the Danube in Budapest for what supporters described as a “celebration of freedom and democracy”. Magyar called on Hungarians to embrace what he referred to as a “gateway of regime change”. […]
Iran accuses US of sabotaging diplomacy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly criticized the United States, accusing Washington of choosing military escalation whenever diplomatic progress appears possible. In a message posted on X, Araghchi said the US repeatedly turns to what he described as a “reckless military adventure” each time negotiations move closer to a potential solution. He also insisted that Iran would “never bow to pressure”. The statement comes amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the United States have exchanged accusations over recent military confrontations. Despite the clashes, Donald Trump maintained that a ceasefire between both sides remains in effect. The truce is intended to support negotiations aimed at ending the conflict launched earlier this year involving the United States, Israel and Iran. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Tehran is expected to respond to American peace […]
Be the first to leave a comment