Twelve personnel were martyred while six terrorists were killed after a checkpost was targeted in the Mali Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.

The incident comes amid a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.

The restive Bannu district has seen heightened militant violence of late, including the abduction of cops, an attack on a girls’ school and a shootout that martyred three security men.

In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on November 19 (Tuesday), “khwarij attempted to attack a Joint Check Post in general area MaliKhel in Bannu District”.

The attack was effectively thwarted, the ISPR said, but a suicide blast led to the collapse of the checkpost’s perimeter wall and adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the martyrdom of 10 soldiers and two Frontier Constabulary personnel.

“In ensuing fire exchange, six khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said.

In July, the government designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

The ISPR statement noted: “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted by own troops, which forced the khwarij to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post.”

It added that the “suicide blast led to collapse of portion of perimeter wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in shahadat of twelve brave sons of soil that include 10 soldiers of the security forces and two soldiers of Frontier Constabulary.”

According to the ISPR, a sanitisation operation was underway. “The perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice,” the military vowed.

“Security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve,” it reaffirmed.

Condemnations

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the martyrdom of the 12 personnel, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

In their separate statements, both leaders paid tribute to the armed forces personnel for sacrificing their lives and killing six terrorists while safeguarding the country.

“The whole nation salutes the soldiers for sacrificing their lives for the security of their motherland,” President Zardari was quoted as saying. He reiterated the nation’s resolve to wipe out terrorism from the country.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz asserted: “The sacrifices of the nation’s soldiers will never be squandered. The Fitna Al Khawarij posing threats to the lives and properties of the people will have to pay a heavy price for it.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the terrorist attack.

Calling the soldiers “heroes of our nation”, Naqvi noted: “The brave sons of our homeland sacrificed their lives to thwart the nefarious designs of terrorists.”

Vowing to always support the martyrs’ families, the interior minister highlighted: “The nation remains indebted to their ultimate devotion to peace.”

Asserting these sacrifices have no parallel globally, Naqvi observed that the attack has once again underscored the ongoing threats posed by extremist elements in the region.

The Iranian embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack in a statement posted on X which said, “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Islamabad strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Bannu’s Mali Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leading to the martyrdom of twelve security personnel.”

It further said, “It extends sincere condolences and sympathy to the Government, Army and People of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It also extends condolences to the families who lost loved ones.”

US ‘engaging with Pakistan’ in building capacity to prevent terrorist threats

Separately, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Pakistan to build capacity in detecting, preventing and responding to terrorist threats, according to State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller.

During a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Miller said: “We remain committed to engaging with government leaders and civilian institutions to identify opportunities to build capacity in detecting, preventing, and responding to threats posed by militant terrorist groups.”

His remarks came in response to a question about how the US could “help Pakistan” in wiping out terrorism from the region.

Referring to the question, Miller said he was aware of the abduction of seven policemen in Bannu, who were later recovered, as well as of “reports that a military convoy was ambushed near the border with Afghanistan”.

“We condemn these and all terrorist attacks,” the State Department official said, acknowledging that Pakistani people have “suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists and violent extremists”.

He expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed or impacted by recent attacks, mentioning the deadly Quetta train station bombing,

Asked about US action to target terrorist groups “based in Afghanistan” — a concern that Pakistan has conveyed to Kabul repeatedly — Miller stated the US continued to have an “important bilateral counterterrorism partnership” with the Pakistani government.

He highlighted that the partnership included “regular high-level dialogues and working level consultations dedicated to enhancing both civilian and military capabilities to detect and counter these type of threats”.

Rise in terrorism

Terrorist attacks have escalated after the TTP broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.

In 2023, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counterterrorism operations. Overall fatalities, including those of outlaws, marked a record six-year high.

A day ago, four people, including a tribal chief and a woman, were killed and as many were injured when unknown armed men opened fire on a double-cabin vehicle in Bannu.

On Monday, over half a dozen policemen were abducted from a check post on the border with North Waziristan. They were recovered safely by police, with the help of tribal elders, yesterday.

Over the weekend, at least eight security personnel were martyred and three injured in fierce gun battles with militants in the KP’s Tirah valley.

In Balochistan’s Kalat, seven security men were martyred and 18 others were wounded on Saturday in a pre-dawn terrorist attack on a check post. Security forces also killed six terrorists and injured four others in the incident, the ISPR had said.

Earlier this month, at least 26 people, including 16 security personnel, lost their lives and 61 others were injured in a suicide bombing at the Quetta railway station.