Car bomb kills 12 – Police

At least 12 people were killed and five others injured after militants detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, police officials said.

According to Muhammad Sajjad Khan, a Bannu police official, the attack occurred late Saturday night in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu, where a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police checkpoint. Following the explosion, a group of militants stormed the post, opening fire on the officers.

In addition to the gunfire, the attackers used small drones, or quadcopters, to intensify the assault. As they retreated, the militants also made off with several police personnel and weapons, officials reported.

The attack, the latest in a series of militant activities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has further strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Kabul has consistently denied claims that Afghan territory serves as a safe haven for militants.

In the wake of the attack, authorities confirmed that 12 officers were killed, with one still missing. Militancy in the region has been on the rise, and tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.