On Tuesday, a terrorist attempt to blow up a bridge in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was thwarted when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated prematurely while being planted, according to police reports.
Amir Khan, spokesperson for the District Police Office in Bannu, explained that two terrorists were attempting to destroy the Doghoda Bridge when one of them was killed instantly as the IED exploded during installation. The second terrorist was injured but managed to flee the scene.
Police arrived promptly at the site to gather evidence, and efforts to identify the deceased terrorist are underway. A search operation is also being conducted to locate the second terrorist, Khan added.
This incident follows a similar attempt in October, when law enforcement successfully prevented a terrorist attack on a police station in Bannu. Police stated that terrorists, believed to be from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), attempted an attack on the Baka Khel police station on October 19. However, alert police officers opened fire on the terrorists after detecting their movement, forcing them to flee.
In another incident on October 17, three terrorists were killed when they attempted to attack a police checkpoint in Bannu during the night.
The recent surge in terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan follows the breakdown of a ceasefire between the Pakistani government and the TTP in November 2022. The TTP subsequently resumed its campaign of violence against security forces, police, and law enforcement personnel.
