A deadly suicide bombing attack in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province leaves nine dead and 20 injured as militants storm an army compound.
March 5, 2025: Peshawar: A coordinated suicide bombing attack targeted a military compound in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday evening, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians, including three children and two women, and injuring at least 20 others.
The attack, carried out by militants from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, involved two explosive-laden cars crashing into the compound, triggering massive explosions and causing significant destruction in the area.
Militants Attempt to Storm Military Compound
According to senior police officials, after the suicide bombers detonated their vehicles, at least 12 heavily armed militants attempted to breach the compound. Pakistani security forces engaged in a fierce gunfight, killing six militants on the spot.
The attack left two large craters, each four feet deep, and caused severe damage to at least eight houses in the locality due to the intensity of the blasts.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group Claims Responsibility
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that their fighters had infiltrated a key target. The group has a long history of involvement in militant activities, previously aiding the Afghan Taliban against US-led NATO forces since 2001.
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This marks another major attack by the same group on this military compound, following a similar vehicle-borne suicide attack last July, which killed eight Pakistani soldiers.
Escalation of Militancy in Pakistan
The security situation in Pakistan has worsened since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, with militant attacks increasing in frequency and intensity.
Last year, Pakistan witnessed its deadliest year in over a decade, with more than 1,600 fatalities due to terror-related incidents, as per the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led Afghan government of harboring militant groups that launch attacks on Pakistani soil—a claim that Kabul strongly denies.
Recent Wave of Attacks
The attack in Bannu comes just days after a suicide bombing at an Islamic school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which killed six people, including individuals linked to the Taliban.
With the rise in terrorist incidents, Pakistan’s security forces remain on high alert, as the country grapples with increasing instability along its northwestern borders.
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Pakistan terrorism, Bannu attack, Pakistan security crisis, suicide bombing, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa violence, Taliban militants, Pakistan military attack, Islamabad security, Afghan-Pakistan border conflict