Six terrorists were killed on Tuesday as security forces foiled an attack on the Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s namesake district, according to the interior ministry.

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the ministry said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for taking timely action and thwarting the attack after killing six Fitna al Khawarij terrorists. The government refers to the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and it affiliates as Fitna al Khawarij.

According to a source, the Jaish-i-Fursan Muha­m­mad, a faction of the outlawed Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed res­ponsibility for the att­ack on social media. How­ever, the claim could not be independently verified.

In a separate statement, KP government spokesperson Barrister Saif said: “The terrorists failed in the attack due to the timely action of security forces. All the attackers have been killed,” adding that the roofs of nearby buildings and a mosque collapsed due to blasts.

He said that worshippers were killed in the latter incident and the number of the dead was still being determined.

A senior district police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that “suicide bombers rammed two explosives-laden vehicles into the entrance gate of Bannu Cantonment, triggering massive explosions … after which multiple terrorists attempted to storm the compound,” adding that “security forces present at the scene engaged them in a gunfight.”

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke in the air while gunfire could be heard in the background.

A statement from the Bannu Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that so far the agency had moved 11 bodies and 30 injured people to the hospital for medical treatment with District Emergency Officer Bakhtullah Wazir supervising the ongoing rescue operation.

Meanwhile, Noman Khattab, spokesperson for the District Headquarters Hospital, said 12 bodies of civilians and 30 injured people were brought to the hospital for treatment.

Khattab said that an emergency has been declared in all district hospitals while staff have been recalled for duties, including those off duty.

Barrister Saif said the incident was “extremely unfortunate”, adding that the country’s enemies would not be allowed to succeed in their “nefarious objectives”.

He said KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur had issued instructions for an inquiry into the incident and the provincial government shared in the grief of the affected families.

The Inter-Services Public Relations has not commented on the incident so far.

Per the interior ministry statement, Naqvi said the nation was proud of the professional capabilities of the security forces. He also expressed grief over the loss of life and extended his condolences to the affected families.

A statement by the office of CM Gandapur condemned what it said was a “blast” in Bannu district.

It said the chief minister expressed grief over the incident and sought a report from senior police officials. The statement added that the chief minister was also saddened by the loss of life in the incident without specifying the nature of the attack or casualties.

CM Gandapur directed the district administration to ensure timely medical assistance to the injured.

“Such incidents in the holy month of Ramazan are highly condemnable and unfortunate,” the statement quoted him as saying.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi similarly condemned the terrorist attack and extended his condolences and sympathies to the victim’s families. “Terrorists involved in the attack on Bannu Cantt are enemies of humanity,” he said.

Condemning the incident, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam said: “The nation needs to be united at this time. We share the grief of the grieving families equally. Terrorism during the month of Ramazan is a very heinous act.”

Last year in July 2024, a terrorist attack targeting Bannu Cantonment had martyred eight members of the security forces while a retaliatory operation killed 10 terrorists. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group was linked to that attack as well.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

February saw a marginal increase in terrorist attacks but a sharp surge in civilian casualties, according to a report published by the Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The report tallying terrorist attacks across Pakistan in February was published after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy in North Waziristan on Sunday, martyring two soldiers and injuring 10 others.

According to PICSS, the country witnessed 79 terrorist attacks last month, resulting in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 45 civilians and 81 security personnel were injured. Security forces, meanwhile, intensified counter-terrorism operations, eliminating 156 terrorists, injuring 20, and arresting 66, it said.