At least three policemen have tragically lost their lives in a recent terrorist attack in Pakistan, just before the upcoming SCO summit. The attack, claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, took place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the eve of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Reports suggest that three terrorists involved in the attack were also killed during the incident, as per unnamed police sources cited by Reuters. The militants stormed the district police headquarters in Bannu, a garrison city, and opened fire, with the death toll expected to rise as a result of the violence.
This distressing attack marks the second assault in Bannu this year, an area bordering the volatile North Waziristan district near the Afghanistan border. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the latest attack, stating it was to disrupt the peace in the region.
Amidst the chaos, graphic images of casualties lying on the ground surfaced online, while videos depicted intense firing and explosions in the area. A senior police officer, speaking under anonymity, disclosed to Reuters that security forces had managed to contain the attackers, including suicide bombers, in the region.
The assault in Bannu is part of a series of terrorist strikes occurring in Pakistan in anticipation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit scheduled for 15th and 16th October. Prior to this attack, terrorists fatally shot 21 coal miners and injured several others in Balochistan province, armed with grenades and rocket launchers.
Only a few days earlier, a suicide bomber targeted Chinese workers outside Karachi airport, leading to casualties and injuries among Pakistani security officials. As the SCO summit approached, Islamabad tightened security measures, declaring a three-day public holiday due to the high threat alert in the city.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the notable foreign leaders arriving for the transregional summit hosted by Beijing. The recent string of violence underscores the challenges Pakistan faces in ensuring security during high-profile international events.