Peshawar, Mar 5 (NVI) Over a dozen Pakistani soldiers have been killed and nearly 30 others injured after a large group of heavily-armed men stormed the Army Cantonment in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province last evening.
While some of the attackers have been killed in the gunfight with the Pakistani military, others continue to fight inside the compound even as nearly 24 hours passed since the attack began, according to the latest reports.
The Bannu cantonment, which is the biggest garrison of the Pakistan Army in Khyber Pakthunkhwa Province, was attacked from three sides, with two suicide bombers ramming their explosives-laden vehicles into the main cordon and the third one blasting another gate.
The explosions caused collapse of various structures, parts of an adjoining Mosque, reports said.
The attackers then stormed into the high-security compound, firing rocket-propelled grenades and using heavy assault guns.
Sounds of heavy gunfire, punctuated with loud explosions, were heard through the last night and most of the day today.
According to various sources, at least 12 soldiers died and over 30 others were injured.
Along with the military personnel, some civilians, including children, were also killed and injured in the attack which was still going on.
According to eyewitnesses, 3 bodies and an injured person were recovered from the rubble of the mosque which caved in due to the blast.
Pakistani military spokesman ISPR, meanwhile, claimed that only 5 soldiers had been killed in the attack carried out by 16 armed men.
“The multiple suicide blasts resulted in the partial collapse of the perimeter wall, causing damage to the adjacent infrastructure. Tragically, a mosque and a civilian residential building in close proximity also suffered severe destruction, leading to the martyrdom of thirteen innocent civilians and injuries to thirty-two others,” ISPR said in a statement.
It said there was evidence that Afghan nationals were also involved in the attack. (NVI)
