A terrorist attack on the Basia Khel police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was successfully foiled, with the attackers forced to flee after a swift response by security personnel, a statement issued on Friday said.

Bannu Police Spokesperson, Aamir Khan, told Dawn.com, “A big group of terrorists attacked the Basia Khel police station in the early hours of Friday using heavy weapons. However, the cops present at the police station bravely thwarted the attack.”

Terming the attack “cowardly”, he added that all the police personnel present at the station were safe.

“Station House Officer (SHO) Asmatullah Khan Niazi led the operation, and the collective and timely response of the police team forced the terrorists to flee,” said Khan.

Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan and District Police Officer Saleem Abbasi commended the Basia Khel police station personnel for “braving the situation and responding promptly to protect the police station and their colleagues from harm”, the statement said.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces.

Attacks increased after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022.

Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu this month.

On Thursday, a Frontier Corps (FC) constable was killed and two others were injured when terrorists attacked their vehicle in the Daryoba area of Bannu.

Six Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were also injured on Wednesday in a “terrorist attack” at a checkpoint in Bannu, according to a police spokesperson.

On Monday, a police official identified as Constable Hayatullah was martyred when terrorists attacked him in the district while he was returning home from duty.

On July 21, over a dozen terrorists attacked a police station in the Bakkakhel town of Bannu. However, the cops responded effectively and thwarted their nefarious plan to take over the building. The police also thwarted a sabotage bid by defusing explosives in the Ghoriwala town of Bannu. An official said the explosives were seized during an intelligence-based operation in the area.

On July 19, two police officials, including an officer, were injured when terrorists carried out a quadcopter attack on Bannu’s Miryan police station.