A suicide attack in Bannu city on Tuesday morning resulted in the deaths of at least three security personnel and left one security official and one police officer critically injured. The attack occurred at a Federal Constabulary (FC) facility when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at the gate. A fierce gun battle ensued between security forces and the attackers following the explosion.

According to police sources speaking to The Khorasan Diary, an Islamabad-based news agency, four to five attackers managed to breach the facility’s perimeter after the initial blast. Three attackers were killed in a swift response by security forces, but at least one attacker remains holed up inside a building, engaging in ongoing gunfire. Police officials confirmed to The Khorasan Diary that one attacker is contained within a room and that a security operation is underway. The operation is being led by District Police Officer Salim Abbas Kalachi. Local sources report that four police officers, including SHO Damsaz Khan, were injured and have been transported to a hospital.

Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Jabhat al-Mahdi Khorasan, and Al-Badr, militant factions affiliated with the larger terrorist group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan.

Authorities state that the operation in Bannu is nearing its conclusion, with the clearing of the building underway. However, the exact number of attackers remains unclear.