15 police officers killed in suicide attack on checkpoint in Pakistani city of Bannu

At least 15 police personnel were killed and three others injured after terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district late on Saturday night, triggering a massive blast that destroyed the post and left several personnel trapped under the debris, a Bannu police spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.

"Last night in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpoint, after which multiple militants entered the post," Bannu police official Muhammad Sajjad Khan told the media.

He said that 15 officers were confirmed dead, the latest attack in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a wave of militancy that has strained ties between Islamabad and Kabul.

Residents gather as heavy machinery clears the rubble of a damaged police post after a car bombing in Bannu. Reuters

Gunmen stormed the police checkpost after the car blast, opening fire, according to officials who said they also used small drones in the attack.

"During the assault, the militants used quadcopters along with heavy weaponry," a senior administrative official in Bannu told the media on condition of anonymity.

An injured victim receives treatment at a hospital following a car bombing attack by militants in Bannu on Sunday. AFP

He said more than 100 militants took part in the attack.

"In addition, while retreating, the attackers took police personnel and weapons from the station with them," he added.

FUNERALS OF SLAIN OFFICERS HELD

Meanwhile, hundreds gathered on Sunday at the police headquarters in Bannu to attend the funerals of the slain officers.

Uniformed colleagues stood in silence as coffins draped in the national flag were carried past grieving families.

People offer funeral prayers for the police officers who were killed in the overnight suicide bombing at a security post in Bannu. AP

Some relatives broke down upon seeing the coffins, as a Muslim cleric led funeral prayers under tight security.

Security forces have launched an operation to track down the perpetrators.

A newly formed militant group, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters.

While the group claims it was formed by splinter factions of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, authorities have accused it of being a front for the TTP.

PRESIDENTS, PM CONDEMN ATTACK

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims' families in a statement. He also instructed local authorities to assist the wounded and residents whose homes were damaged in the attack.

People gather around a burned armoured vehicle at the damaged police checkpost following a car bombing attack by militants in Bannu on Sunday. AFP

Zadari also said, "terrorists operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan under the Taliban administration and supported externally are targeting civilians and law enforcement personnel in Pakistan." He also vowed to target "their facilitators and sponsors."

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the attack.

Bannu has been gripped in recent years by militant activity that has grown across Pakistan's border regions.

The Taliban government in Kabul denies Pakistan's accusations that Afghan territory is a safe harbour for militants, but the frosty relationship has spiralled into deadly armed conflict, including Pakistani airstrikes on cities in Afghanistan in recent months.

Agencies