By Aqeel Yousafzai
On Tuesday evening, right at the time of Iftar, two suicide attacks were carried out on Bannu Cantt by a splinter group of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, resulting in the martyrdom of 13 civilians which includes 4 children and 3 women, and injuring around two dozen others, with 4 reported to be in critical condition. The attacks were executed using two vehicles loaded with approximately 3000 kilograms of explosives. In response, security forces killed 6 terrorists and launched a search and clearance operation, which continued until late at night. The explosions were so intense that roofs of nearby houses collapsed, causing fatalities. Parts of a nearby mosque were also damaged. A new branch of the banned TTP’s ally, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for this devastating attack.
Renowned analyst Ismail Khan stated that by carrying out such a large-scale attack, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group has not only posed a significant threat but also delivered a “surprise” to the mainstream TTP.
According to journalist Iftikhar Firdous, this group not only has links with Al-Qaeda but also with the Ilyas Kashmiri group. He mentioned that a few days earlier, the group had announced revenge for Islamabad’s Jamia Hafsa, and the Bannu attack is being seen in this context.
Senior anchorperson Asma Shirazi stated that a new wave of attacks has started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing growing concern among the public. However, some political circles are blaming PTI for the situation, accusing them of facilitating terrorists.
Meanwhile, Pakhtoon Yar, a Member of Provincial Assembly from Bannu, strongly condemned the attack in a video message, asserting that terrorists would not be allowed to target civilians and security forces in this manner.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and several other leaders praised the Pakistan Army for promptly eliminating the six terrorists and expressed condolences to the affected families.
While the Bannu attack was ongoing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s statement was released to the media, stating that the Terms of Reference (TORs) for a negotiation delegation to Afghanistan for peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been finalized. His statement was heavily criticized by political and public circles, questioning why the Chief Minister was advocating for negotiations with terrorists despite such attacks.
On the same day, there was also heightened tension at the Torkham border, with intermittent exchange of fire reported.
Two days earlier, the banned TTP had released a report stating that it had carried out approximately 145 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the month of February.