Explosives-Laden Vehicle Rams Police Station In Pakistan’s Bannu, 8 Cops Killed | Exclusive
Explosives-Laden Vehicle Rams Police Station In Pakistan’s Bannu, 8 Cops Killed | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 08:00 IST Six other security
Explosives-Laden Vehicle Rams Police Station In Pakistan’s Bannu, 8 Cops Killed | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 08:00 IST Six other security personnel were also killed in the assault, taking the overall toll to 14. Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Rapid Read An Army vehicle patrols, past police officers stand guard along a road, near cantonment area in Bannu, Pakistan. (REUTERS/File) At least 14 Pakistani security personnel were killed after militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Miryan police station in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggering a prolonged gun battle, official sources told CNN-News18. The dead included eight police personnel and six other security personnel, the sources said. Several others were injured in the assault and admitted to Bannu Civil Hospital, where the condition of multiple victims remained critical. The attack began with a powerful vehicle-borne improvised explosive device blast at the police station, which also served as a joint security centre for the police, military personnel and members of a local peace committee.
The explosion caused extensive damage to the facility and was immediately followed by intense gunfire as the attackers attempted to storm the compound. Security personnel engaged the militants, with the exchange of fire continuing until late Wednesday night. Despite the damage caused by the initial explosion, security forces prevented the attackers from taking complete control of the compound and repelled the first attempt to breach the facility, sources said. Additional contingents of police and federal security forces were subsequently deployed to the area. The compound was surrounded and a clearing operation was launched against the remaining attackers. Militant group Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. In a statement, it claimed that the vehicle carried around 2.5 tonnes of explosives and that much of the joint security centre had been destroyed. These claims could not be independently verified. Intelligence sources, meanwhile, said the attack was carried out by militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The assault followed a pattern increasingly used by militant groups in the region: detonating a heavily laden vehicle at a security installation before launching a ground attack on the damaged compound.
Local police stations and checkpoints in the volatile border region have repeatedly emerged as vulnerable targets because police units often have fewer weapons, armoured vehicles and rapid-response capabilities than federal military formations. By targeting frontline police infrastructure, militants seek to overwhelm personnel stationed at isolated facilities before larger security contingents can reach the area, sources said. The use of a vehicle bomb followed by an armed assault is intended to breach the outer defences of a compound and create an opening for attackers to enter. In the latest assault, however, personnel inside the Miryan police station managed to hold their positions until reinforcements arrived, preventing a complete takeover of the facility. The area remained cordoned off as the clearing operation continued. Further details about the number of attackers and their condition were awaited. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered What is the current security situation in Bannu? On July 15, 2026, militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Miryan police station in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 14 security personnel.
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