Terrorists’ bid to blow up a bridge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district failed on Tuesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated prematurely while it was being installed, police said.

Amir Khan, the spokesperson for the District Police Office in Bannu, told Dawn that two terrorists intended to blow up Doghoda Bridge. He said that one of them died on the spot when the IED detonated prematurely while it was being installed.

The other terrorist was injured and escaped the scene, he added.

The spokesperson said police had reached the spot and were collecting evidence. Meanwhile, the process for the identification of the dead terrorist had also been initiated, he said.

A search operation was also under way to track down the other terrorist, he added.

Today’s incident comes around a month after law enforcers foiled an attack by terrorists at a police station in Bannu.

According to police, terrorists belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — had tried to attack the Baka Khel police station from a distance in the October 19 incident.

But, police personnel opened fire on them after detecting their movement, preventing the terrorists from coming near the police station. Eventually, the terrorists fled, a police statement said.

In a similar incident on October 17, three terrorists were killed after they attempted to attack a police checkpost in Bannu late at night.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan. The spike in incidents followed the proscribed TTP ending a ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowing to attack security forces, police, and personnel of law enforcement agencies.