Interior minister condemns “cowardly” assault that left seven dead in Bannu’s strategic wedge
A police officer stands guard on a street with damaged shops in the background in Bannu Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Photo: AFP
Seven people were killed and another injured when gunmen belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked a peace committee office in the Haved Daradariz area of Bannu, police said on Friday.
The incident took place late in the evening when militants stormed the residence and office of Peace Committee chief Qari Jalil. Jalil was not present at the scene during the assault and remained unharmed.
The police have registered a case on the complaint of a citizen, Abdullah, under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons) and 149 (every member of the unlawful assembly guilty of offenses committed in prosecution of the Penal Code) of Pakistan.
The First Information Report (FIR) named TTP militants Haroon, Shakir Gul Andaz and several other armed accomplices. Two teenagers, 14-year-old Nauman and 15-year-old Muhammad, recorded statements confirming the identity of the attackers.
The firing resulted in victims identified as Usama, Faizan, Kamran, Niaz, Wali and Imdad. One of the injured died after being taken to hospital.
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The attack highlights the deteriorating security situation in Haved Daradariz, a locality located on the volatile southern outskirts of Bannu. The area acts as a critical geographic wedge between the settled district’s agricultural plains and the rugged tribal foothills of North Waziristan.
Due to its proximity to the porous border, the Sea has historically served as a strategic transit route. In late 2025, however, the area was transformed into a primary theater of counter-terrorism, evolving from a quiet hinterland into a flashpoint for violence.
The site remains under tight security surveillance following major cordon and search operations carried out in August and November. These intelligence-based operations (IBOs) targeted hideouts used by militant facilitators to launch attacks on local police infrastructure and stage cross-border attacks.
Read more: KP forces kill five terrorists in Bannu, Lakki Marwat raid
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the incident and expressed deep grief over the loss of life.
“This cowardly act of terrorism is a malicious attempt to undermine peace and stability,” Naqvi said. He referred to the attackers as “Fitna-ul-Khawarij” and stated that such acts could not shake the high morale of the people.
“The nation and the state stand united against the enemies of peace,” he maintained.
