Security forces avert major attack in Bannu, several IEDs defused

PESHAWAR: Bannu Police on Friday foiled a major terror plot by defusing multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in areas under the jurisdiction of the Baka Khel and Kaki police stations.

According to district police, two IEDs containing more than 140 kilograms of explosives were neutralised in Baka Khel, while another device weighing around eight kilograms was defused in Kaki.

The explosives had been planted near a bridge on the Bannu–Miranshah Road and in a local market, posing a serious threat to public safety.

Acting on early-morning intelligence, teams led by SDPOs and DSP CTD Bannu, under the supervision of the DPO Bannu, were dispatched along with district police, the Rapid Response Force (RRF), CTD Swat teams, and the Bomb Disposal Squad.

During drone surveillance, three suspects allegedly attempting to remotely detonate the devices opened fire on police. A brief exchange of fire followed, after which the suspects managed to escape into nearby bushes.

The Bomb Disposal Squad successfully neutralised the explosives, preventing significant damage and saving numerous lives.

Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed praised the successful operation and announced a reward for the Bannu police team. The DIG Bannu Region also commended the intelligence-based operation for its efficiency.

Earlier, in a brutal and cowardly act, three unarmed brothers, all government employees, were abducted from the limits of the Cantt Police Station area in Bannu.

Two of the brothers were later found murdered, while the third remains missing, officials and local sources said on Thursday.

According to the district police, the incident occurred in the Sokari Hassan Khel area, where the brothers were performing Isha and Taraweeh prayers at a local mosque. Ten to twelve armed militants stormed the mosque and forcibly abducted them during the prayers.

Authorities said the attackers showed no regard for the sanctity of the mosque, the ongoing prayers, or the Holy Quran, and forcibly took the victims away in a vehicle to an unknown location.

Later, the bodies of two brothers were discovered along a roadside, showing clear signs of brutal killing. The third brother remains unaccounted for.

The abducted brothers were identified as Saeed Akhtar, an operator at the Commissioner’s Office; Amjad Khan, a police constable posted with the SDW Elite Force; and Hazratullah, a police constable with the SDW Commissioner Squad.