All 16 terrorists were eliminated while five soldiers were martyred as security forces responded to yesterday’s terrorist attack on the Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s namesake district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.

Te­r­rorists had rammed two exp­losives-laden vehicles into the perimeter of the Bannu Cantonment in an attempt to enter the high-security zone on Tuesday evening.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement today that “troops engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating all 16 terrorists, including four suicide bombers”.

“In the intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, after putting up a heroic resistance, embraced martyrdom in the line of duty,” the ISPR added.

Meanwhile, 13 civilians lost their lives while another 32 were injured as a result of a mosque and a residential building suffering “severe destruction” due to the suicide blasts causing the perimeter wall to partially collapse.

Recalling the attack’s details, the ISPR said a “cowardly terrorist attack was attempted on Bannu Cantonment by khwarij elements”. The government refers to the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates as Fitna al Khawarij.

“The assailants sought to breach the cantonment’s security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly and decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Pakistan’s security forces. In their desperation, the attackers rammed two explosive-laden vehicles into the perimeter wall,” the ISPR said.

“Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, our valiant troops engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating all 16 terrorists, including four suicide bombers,” the statement said, adding that five soldiers were martyred during the efforts.

“The multiple suicide blasts resulted in the partial collapse of the perimeter wall, causing damage to the adjacent infrastructure. Tragically, a mosque and a civilian residential building in close proximity also suffered severe destruction, leading to the martyrdom of 13 innocent civilians and injuries to 32 others,” the ISPR stated.

Yesterday’s attack has been widely condemned by government officials.

President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the soldiers who “sacrificed their lives while bravely fighting the terrorists”.

In a statement issued today by the President House, he also praised the armed forces for eliminating 16 terrorists, which included four suicide bombers.

Expressing his grief over the deaths of “innocent civilians”, the president conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families. He prayed for the deceased and the speedy recovery of those injured.

In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asserted that the TTP was the “enemy of Pakistan and its evil intentions would never be allowed to succeed”. “Cowardly terrorists who target innocent civilians in the holy month of Ramazan do not deserve any concessions,” he had said in a statement.

KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur ordered an inquiry into the incident while Governor Faisal Karim Kundi termed terrorists involved in the attack “enemies of humanity”.

‘Physical involvement of Afghan nationals’

In its statement, the ISPR noted that intelligence reports “unequivocally confirmed the physical involvement of Afghan nationals in this heinous act, with evidence also pointing to the fact that the attack was orchestrated and directed by Khwarij ring leaders operating from Afghanistan”.

“Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government to uphold its responsibilities and deny its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan. Pakistan reserves the right to take necessary measures in response to these threats emanating from across the border,” the military said.

It reaffirmed that the security forces of Pakistan remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms. “The sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs.”

Islamabad has consistently voiced concerns that the banned TTP uses Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan, asking the Afghan interim government to rein in the group. Kabul denies the allegations.

Last month, the ISPR said an Afghan national “involved in terrorism inside Pakistan” was killed during an operation in KP’s North Waziristan district.

That came within a month of Pakistan repatriating the body of an Afghan national involved in terrorist activities who was killed in a counterterrorism operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district.

In a press conference in December last year, ISPR Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said terrorist outfits were being provided “sanctuaries, support, and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory”.

Provincial govt doing all it can following attack: KP health minister

KP Health Minister Pakhtoon Yar Khan said that the provincial government was doing all it could following yesterday’s attack, while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’.

“We’ve been there since last night and all of this morning as well doing all our activities.”

He added the government was doing all it could to make its forces capable and fulfil all necessities.

“At the same time, our law enforcement agencies are keeping up the fight,” Khan said.

“Additionally, those sitting in Islamabad should realise they need to help the provincial government and fulfil our requirements and what our forces need,” he said.

Uptick in terror attacks

Bannu has witnessed several militant attacks over the past several months.

In July 2024, a terrorist attack targeting Bannu Cantonment had martyred eight members of the security forces while a retaliatory operation killed 10 terrorists.

The ISPR statement had attributed that attack to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, “which operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well”.

On October 14 last year, five militants wearing burqas and suicide vests were killed as four police officials embraced martyrdom in an attempt to foil a gun and bomb attack on Iqbal Shaheed Police Lines.

On November 20 last year, 12 troops were martyred in a suicide attack on a security check post in the Mali Khel area of the district. On February 8 this year, two policemen were martyred when terrorists attacked a police post in the Fatehkhel area of the district.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

February saw a marginal increase in terrorist attacks but a sharp surge in civilian casualties, according to a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Piccs).

According to Piccs, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured.

Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, the report said.

In the merged districts, 21 terrorist attacks were reported, leading to the deaths of 22 security personnel and eight civilians, while 26 personnel and 11 civilians were injured. On the other hand, security forces killed at least 98 terrorists, injured 15, and arrested 50 suspects in the region.

The rest of KP, meanwhile, witnessed 23 terrorist attacks, resulting in the deaths of 14 security personnel and 12 civilians, while 22 civilians and an equal number of security personnel were injured. Security forces killed 47 terrorists in the province, the report said.