A city in northwestern Pakistan marked a day of mourning on Wednesday, following a twin suicide bombing at a military base that claimed the lives of 18 people, including five soldiers, reports AP.
A militant group with ties to the Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the bombing in Bannu, which also left 42 others injured, some critically. The city has been targeted by militants before.
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The bombers detonated their explosives to breach the base's perimeter wall while many residents were breaking their fast for Ramadan or praying at a nearby mosque.
The blasts tore off roofs and caused extensive damage to the mosque. Other attackers entered the base, sparking a gun battle with the troops.
An army statement on Wednesday confirmed that five soldiers and 16 militants were killed.
Gunfire could still be heard early Wednesday as security forces searched the area for militants. At the site, a mechanical digger was clearing rubble where homes once stood, and debris-covered prayer mats were found scattered at the mosque.
Joint funeral prayers for the victims were held at a sports complex.
“All educational institutions are closed,” said Alam Khan, a community elder from Bannu. “Most shops are also shut. Rescue workers have completed their operation, recovering the bodies of three worshippers trapped under the collapsed roof of the mosque.”
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Bannu is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, an area where several armed groups operate. Jaish Al-Fursan, a group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Bannu has previously been targeted by militants. Last November, a suicide car bomb killed 12 soldiers and injured others at a security post. In July, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives, while additional militants opened fire near the outer wall of a military facility.
On the same day, a bomb exploded at a shop in Nal, a town in Khuzdar district in southwestern Balochistan province, killing three people and injuring five, according to Deputy Commissioner Iqbal Dashti. Nal is frequented by people from Sindh and Punjab provinces.
No immediate group claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on Baloch separatists, who have previously targeted non-local residents in their efforts to seek independence from the central government in Islamabad.
Also on Wednesday, a drive-by shooting in Peshawar's Uzair Town killed intelligence officer Shahid Anwar as he drove to work. The assailant, riding a motorcycle, fled the scene, according to police officer Adnan Khan.