Pakistani forces neutralize 4 terrorists, thwart Army compound attack

Pakistani security forces on Monday killed four terrorists who stormed a military compound, officials said, after a gun battle lasting several hours.

At least three members of the security forces were also killed in the attack amid a surge in violence in the South Asian country, which is facing an economic crisis.

The attack took place in the Bannu district of the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan.

Terrorists detonated an explosive-laden vehicle to enter the high-security residential compound.

According to a local police official, Tahir Nawaz, the terrorists attacked the Bannu cantonment at around 5 am. (0000 GMT).

He said the security operation was over, with at least seven civilians wounded, adding that a clearance operation was underway.

A little-known group named Jaish-e Fursan-e Muhammad claimed responsibility for the attack, in a message to local media.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group for Islamist militants in the country, has stepped up attacks on the country’s security forces in recent months.

Around 80,000 Pakistanis have been killed in years of violence by the Pakistani Taliban, who want to overthrow the government to implement sharia, or strict Islamic law, as in Afghanistan.

Last month, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership approved a military operation to deal with the surge in attacks.