Seven civilians injured as militants attack army cantonment in northwest Pakistan

In a statement shared with the media, the Jaish-e-Fursan (Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group), a Pakistani Taliban or TTP faction, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Security forces foiled an attack by militants near the outer wall of a military cantonment in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, wounding seven civilians, local outlets quoted police said.

Per the report, militants attempted to enter the high-security cantonment area by detonating an explosive-laden vehicle on the road linking the outer wall of the cantonment with the supply depot.

“Security forces foiled the terrorists’ attempt by taking timely action […] and have started a clearance operation,” the report said.

A spokesperson for the government hospitals in Bannu, Muhammad Numan, told Dawn.com that eight people were left wounded in the attack.

Area locals told Dawn News that they heard two explosions near the cantonment at about 4:40 am, followed by the sound of gunshots. They said houses and shops located near the site of the explosions were damaged following the blasts.

In a statement shared with the media, the Jaish-e-Fursan (Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group), a Pakistani Taliban or TTP faction, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Islamabad blames an ongoing surge in militant attacks on neighboring Afghanistan, saying TTP leaders have taken refuge there and run camps to train insurgents to launch attacks inside Pakistan.

The Afghan rulers in Kabul say rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad and it does not allow militants to operate on its territory.