A car bombing at a police post followed by an intense firefight has killed at least three officers in northwestern Pakistan, according to police and security sources. The attack occurred in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, late on Saturday.

Police official Zahid Khan told The Associated Press that a suicide bomber and several fighters detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a security post. Multiple explosions were heard shortly after, and the post collapsed from the blast's impact.

Pakistan's Dawn reported that nearby civilian areas also suffered severe damage, with two civilians injured. Reuters, citing security officials, reported that after the bombing, an ambush was launched on police personnel rushing to the scene for backup.

Police official Sajjad Khan told Reuters that more casualties were feared, adding that fighting was ongoing and the extent of damage would only be known once the operation concluded. Police sources said the aggressors also used drones in the attack.

Ambulances from rescue agencies and civil hospitals were dispatched, and a state of emergency was declared in government hospitals in Bannu. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but such attacks risk reigniting fighting along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The worst fighting in years erupted in February when Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what Islamabad said were militant strongholds. Fighting has since eased, but no official ceasefire has been brokered. Islamabad blames Kabul for harboring armed groups, while the Taliban denies the allegations.

Source: www.aljazeera.com