Authorities in northwest Pakistan report that a suicide attack on a security post kills 14 police officers, with the death toll rising by early Sunday. The attack occurs in Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghanistan border, late Saturday. A suicide bomber drives or detonates an explosives-laden vehicle near the post, followed by gunmen, according to a senior police official, Sajjad Khan.
The blast triggers a prolonged exchange of gunfire, and additional officers die after the building collapses. Rescuers conduct an hourslong search operation using heavy machinery to retrieve bodies from under rubble. Khan says three police officers are wounded. Hundreds gather at the police headquarters in Bannu for funerals, and coffins are carried past grieving families.
A self-proclaimed breakaway splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for the attack, as reported by multiple outlets. The incident adds to ongoing security challenges in the region.
