4 Pakistani soldiers and 5 insurgents are killed in coordinated suicide attacks on military installation

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle and other insurgents opened fire near the outer wall of a military installation in northwest Pakistan early Monday, killing at least four soldiers and wounding dozens, including civilians, officials said.

There was no immediate comment from the military on the attack in Bannu, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

However, four local security officials said all five attackers were killed.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

However, local police official Tahir Khan said security forces responded quickly to the “coordinated attack” and thwarted an attempt by insurgents to enter the sprawling military complex in the town of Bannu, which mainly houses military offices and security force residences.

He also said that army helicopters and ground troops continued to enter the area to track down more insurgents.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks in recent years, especially in the northwest.

In January 2023, militants killed at least 101 people, mostly police officers, when a suicide bomber disguised as a police officer attacked a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion likely falls on the Pakistani Taliban, who have increased their attacks on security forces across the country in recent months.

The Pakistani Taliban – known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP – is a separate group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban. The TTP has stepped up its attacks on security forces since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

This is a map of Pakistan with its capital Islamabad and the Kashmir region. (AP)