Suicide attack on Pakistan police station kills 5

Islamabad, Apr 3 (EFE).- At least five people were killed and 12 injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted a police station in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, damaging nearby homes and shops, police said Friday.

A Bannu police officer told EFE that the Domel police station was targeted in the attack, which also destroyed nearby houses and killed civilians.

«A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Domel police station, damaging nearby homes and shops,» Rafi Ullah, the officer, said

«The blast was so powerful that it also damaged parts of the police station, including the sentry post,» he added.

Those killed included four members of the same family who lived next to the police station. Among the injured was a police officer, the official said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, denied responsibility for the blast. The group has previously carried out several similar attacks in the region.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

Islamabad has accused Kabul of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory and has also alleged Indian support for cross-border attacks, accusations denied by both Kabul and New Delhi.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have also experienced their worst clashes since late February, when Afghan forces launched a border offensive in response to earlier Pakistani air strikes.

Despite tensions, the two sides are currently engaged in a dialogue process mediated by China. The latest round of talks began Wednesday in Urumqi, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur region.

Pakistan last month announced a «temporary pause» in military operations along the Afghan border ahead of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. The ceasefire expired between March 23 and 24, although fewer clashes have been reported since then. EFE

aa-sk