Officials said the assault took place around 9 p.m. when terrorists opened fire on the committee’s office, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire. Seven committee members were killed on the spot, while one person was injured.
The attack came just a day after Pakistani security forces killed 30 militants—described by officials as Indian-backed “Fitna al-Khawarij” elements—in a series of counterterrorism operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Kurram district alone, 12 militants were neutralised and 11 more killed, according to the military’s media wing, with additional engagements reported in Tank, Mohmand and Lakki Marwat.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp escalation in militant violence, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. A police report says KP recorded more than 600 terror incidents in the first eight months of 2025, resulting in the deaths of at least 79 police personnel and 138 civilians.
On November 11, a suicide attack in Islamabad killed 12 people and wounded 36, including lawyers and petitioners.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities in Kabul to dismantle terrorist safe havens operating inside Afghanistan, including those linked to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani officials say the Afghan interim government has so far remained largely unresponsive to concerns over cross-border attacks.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the Bannu attack, calling the perpetrators “Khawarij miscreants,” a term widely used in Muslim-majority countries to describe violent extremists who justify terrorism through distorted religious interpretations.
Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, Naqvi extended condolences to the families of the victims. He said the attack was a cowardly attempt to undermine peace and stability, but insisted that such actions “cannot shake the high spirits of the people.” The minister added that the nation and the state remain united against all enemies of peace.
