The armed group Hafiz Gul Bahadur, operating from Afghanistan, claims responsibility for the deadly attack.
At least eight Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack after suicide bombers rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the perimeter wall of a military base.
The rebels attacked the army outpost in Bannu, bordering the North Waziristan tribal area. In a statement released on Tuesday, the military said soldiers killed all 10 attackers involved in the attack.
“This timely and effective response… averted major catastrophes, saving precious innocent lives,” he added.
Among those killed in Monday’s attack were seven military personnel and a paramilitary soldier.
“The Pakistan Armed Forces will… take all necessary measures, as deemed appropriate, against these threats emanating from Afghanistan,” the military said.
The attack was claimed by the armed group Hafiz Gul Bahadur, under the command of the Pakistani Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, which the army claims operates from neighboring Afghanistan to “orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan”.
The British colonial-era base has historically been used as a launching pad for counterinsurgency operations and is surrounded by civilian homes, which were shaken by Monday’s explosion, Reuters news agency reported citing two unnamed local officials. .
The initial explosion collapsed the perimeter wall, allowing the remaining fighters to enter the base.
An unnamed local official also told AFP news agency that 141 people were injured after fighters wearing suicide vests “infiltrated the residential area”. They fought battles with guns and rocket-propelled grenades for 26 hours.
On Tuesday morning, suspected TTP fighters carried out another attack in Dera Ismail Khan, a district near Bannu, where two security guards and three attackers were killed.
Pakistan’s military launched a rare cross-border operation targeting the armed group in March.
Islamabad says it has consistently raised the issue of cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration, which denies allowing the use of Afghan soil for attacks.
The issue increased tensions between neighboring countries, leading to clashes between their border forces.
The attack also comes weeks after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a sweeping new campaign to root out armed groups following a rise in violence.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
