Islamabad: A car bombing at a police post, followed by an intense firefight, has killed at least 21 officers in northwestern Pakistan, according to police and security sources.
An alliance of armed groups known as the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A suicide bomber and several gunmen detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the post in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, late on Saturday, said senior police official Sajjad Khan.
The attack triggered an intense shootout, with some officers being killed in the exchange, while others died later after the building collapsed. Gunmen stormed the police check post after the car blast, opening fire, according to officials who said they also used small drones in the attack.
More than 100 militants took part in the attack.
Reeports quoting media stated that a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpoint, after which multiple militants entered the post and opened fire, according to officials who said they also used small drones in the attack.
While retreating, the attackers took police personnel and weapons from the station with them,” he added.
Bannu has been gripped in recent years by militant activity that has grown across Pakistan’s border regions.
