KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least five people, including women and children, were killed and four others wounded in a suicide bombing targeting a police station in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, local media reported.
The attack took place in Bannu district when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the Domel Police Station building, Geo News reported, citing security sources. The blast caused significant damage to the station and nearby structures.
The report said three women and a child were among those killed. Four of the wounded were in serious condition and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but security sources attributed the attack to militants referred to by authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by Pakistani authorities for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
Bannu and surrounding districts have seen repeated militant attacks in recent months, with police stations and security checkpoints among the main targets. Authorities have increased patrols and launched search operations in the area following the blast.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan. Attacks have often targeted police patrols, military convoys, and government installations.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan of allowing militants to operate from Afghan soil and plan cross-border attacks. The Taliban deny the allegation, saying no such groups are active in the country.
The rise in violence has strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities in Kabul, despite years of close ties. In recent months, tensions have escalated, with both sides exchanging accusations and carrying out military actions along the border.
In late February, Pakistan launched a new series of airstrikes and military operations inside Afghanistan in response to escalating militant attacks, causing reported civilian casualties. The United Nations has since documented hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan, with women and children accounting for most of the victims.
Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions are ongoing. A meeting facilitated by China between Pakistani and Taliban officials is underway in Urumqi, though no further details have been released. Previous rounds of talks mediated by countries including Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have failed to produce a breakthrough, with Islamabad seeking assurances that Afghan territory would not be used as a base for attacks against Pakistan.
