In the quiet hours of Friday night, four police stations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts became targets of coordinated terror strikes—a stark reminder of the persistent volatility in Pakistan’s northwest. By dawn, officials confirmed the assaults had been thwarted, with no lives lost, though the echoes of violence lingered.
Two officers sustained injuries in a roadside blast, and militants clashed with security forces, but swift responses prevented further harm. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group banned yet relentless, claimed responsibility, underscoring a troubling resurgence in attacks since their ceasefire with the government crumbled in late 2022.
The drama unfolded in two acts. In Lakki Marwat, terrorists descended on the Dadiwala and Pezo police stations, unleashing gunfire and grenades. Police accounts described a chaotic scene: vehicles screeching, explosives detonating, and officers scrambling to fortify defenses. “Timely action” by security personnel—a phrase repeated in official statements—proved decisive.
The attackers fled, leaving behind a shattered roadside bomb on Landiwah Road, which later injured two cops when it detonated as a police vehicle passed. One militant was killed in the ensuing firefight, while a manhunt for an accomplice spilled into Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Bannu, the night took a more intimate turn. At the Khojri police post, armed motorcyclists hurled grenades before vanishing into the darkness. But here, the story diverged. Locals, roused by the commotion, grabbed whatever weapons they had and formed a human shield around the post. “Long live the police!” they chanted, a spontaneous show of solidarity captured in official reports. Nearby, at Ghoriwala and Bakakhel stations, officers repelled grenade-wielding assailants with “vigorous” return fire, sending attackers scrambling. No one was hurt—a small victory in a region where such clashes often exact a grim toll.
The attacks fit a grim pattern. Since the TTP abandoned its ceasefire, KP and Balochistan have seen a surge in violence, with security forces bearing the brunt. Yet this latest spree revealed something unexpected: resilience in vulnerability. In Khojri, villagers didn’t just stand by—they stood with the police, a rare display of unity in areas where distrust between communities and authorities often simmers. “The people came out to protect the checkpost,” a police statement noted, almost proudly. It was a moment of clarity in the fog of conflict: even as militants exploit divisions, ordinary citizens can still choose to bridge them.
Authorities, however, remain on edge. Lakki Marwat’s deputy commissioner had issued a threat alert just hours before the attacks—a grim premonition. The TTP’s brazen claims of responsibility, splashed across militant channels, signal no retreat.
For now, the focus is on securing outposts and healing wounds—both physical and communal. But as dawn broke over Bannu and Lakki Marwat, the message was clear: in this long, grinding struggle, small acts of courage still matter.
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