12 killed as militants attack police checkpoint in Pakistan

At least 12 people have been killed and five others injured after militants carried out a coordinated attack involving a car bomb at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan.

Police officials confirmed that the incident occurred late Saturday night in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a senior police official, Muhammad Sajjad Khan, the attackers used a suicide vehicle-borne explosive device, ramming it into the checkpoint before armed militants moved in and opened fire on security personnel stationed there.

He said the assault did not end with gunfire, as the attackers also deployed small drones, commonly referred to as quadcopters, to intensify the attack on the police position.

Authorities further disclosed that after the initial assault, the militants retreated with some police personnel and seized weapons from the checkpoint.

Security sources confirmed that at least 12 police officers were killed in the attack, while one officer remains missing, with search efforts currently underway.

The incident is the latest in a series of militant operations reported in the region, which has witnessed a resurgence of violence in recent months.

Security analysts note that the broader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has experienced increased instability, contributing to growing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The government in Kabul, led by the Taliban administration, has repeatedly rejected allegations that Afghan territory is being used as a safe haven for militants operating across the border.

Authorities in Pakistan say investigations into the attack are ongoing as security operations intensify in the area.