Terrorists attack 4 police stations in Pakistan's northwest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban launched coordinated overnight attacks on four police stations in Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, engaging security forces in intense firefights that stretched into the early hours of Saturday.

The assaults targeted Dadiwala and Pezo stations in Lakki Marwat, and Ghoriwala and Bakakhel stations in Bannu, alongside Khojri checkpost in Bannu, in a brazen display of militant aggression.

The attacks with firearms and hand grenades began late Friday night. In Bannu, motorcyclists lobbed grenades at Khojri checkpost, triggering a fierce exchange of fire. Local villagers joined police in repelling the attackers, chanting slogans of support as the skirmishes unfolded. In Lakki Marwat, police reported similar resilience, with no immediate fatalities among security forces across the four incidents.

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) swiftly claimed responsibility, underscoring their ongoing campaign against Pakistani authorities since the collapse of a ceasefire in Nov 2022.

Separately, the Pakistan army’s media affairs wing said two soldiers and nine nine terrorists were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The soldiers, the military said, were killed during intelligence-based operations in Mohmand, a restive tribal district bordering Afghanistan.