UPDATES WITH DETAILS OF 2ND ATTACK IN PAST 24 HOURS; CHANGES HEADER, LEDE, DECK
By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least 28 people, including five civilians, 10 soldiers, and 13 suspected militants, were killed in two separate terrorist attacks, which included a suicide bombing, in northwestern Pakistan over the past 24 hours, the military said on Tuesday.
A group of heavily-armed militants stormed the cantonment area in the Bannu district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in early hours of Monday before a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the area, killing eight soldiers.
"The attempt to enter the cantonment was effectively thwarted by the security forces personnel, which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive laden vehicle into perimeter wall of the cantonment," the military said in a statement.
The suicide blast, it added, led to the collapse of a portion of the wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the killing of eight troops.
In the ensuing operation, troops effectively engaged the attackers, killing all 10 suspected militants, the statement added.
The army pointed a finger at the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), "which operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well."
"Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns with interim Afghan Government, asking them to deny persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and take effective action against such elements," the statement said.
Hours after, another group of terrorists stormed a healthy facility in the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday late night, and opened "indiscriminate" firing, killing five civilians, a separate statement from the military said.
In an exchange of fire, three terrorists and two army troops were also killed, it added.
The deceased included two women health workers and as many children.
Islamabad accuses "Afghanistan-based" TTP militants of carrying out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul rejects the allegation.