PESHAWAR: Schools and shops closed as residents of a northwestern Pakistani city prepared for the funeral ceremonies on Wednesday for 12 people killed in a twin suicide bombing that targeted a military base the day before.
A militant group linked with the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing in Bannu on Tuesday evening when two suicide bombers breached the wall surrounding the base.
Most of the local residents were breaking their daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan or praying at a nearby mosque.
After the explosions, other attackers stormed the compound and set off a firefight with the troops.
The powerful blasts tore through walls and ripped off roofs and also severely damaged the mosque. Along with the 12 killed, 30 people were also wounded in the attack, some of whom were reported to be in critical condition.
The casualty figures did not include troops. It was not immediately known how many security forces were killed or injured in the assault or the subsequent gunfight.
On Wednesday, a mechanical digger was clearing away rubble where homes used to stand, and debris-covered prayer mats lay crumpled on the mosque floor.
A day of mourning was being observed, said Bannu community elder Alam Khan, and joint funeral prayers were to be held for the victims at a sports complex in the area.
Gunshots could still be heard early on Wednesday as security forces combed through the area, looking to clear it of any militants involved in the attack.
“All education institutions are closed,” Khan said. “Most shops are also shut. Rescue workers have completed their operation by recovering the bodies of three deceased worshippers who were trapped under the collapsed roof of the mosque.”
Bannu is located in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that borders Afghanistan, and several armed groups are active there. A group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, Jaish Al-Fursan, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan holds funeral prayers for 12 victims of double suicide bombing near military base in Bannu
https://arab.news/mgrsb
Pakistan holds funeral prayers for 12 victims of double suicide bombing near military base in Bannu
- The city is observing a day of mourning, with joint funeral prayers scheduled at a sports complex
- Gunshots could still be heard early on Wednesday as security forces combed through the area
Pakistan top military commander urges ‘multi-domain preparedness’ amid evolving security threats
- Asim Munir says Pakistan faces layered challenges spanning conventional, cyber, economic and information domains
- His comments come against the backdrop of tensions with India, ongoing militant violence in western border regions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander Field Marshal Asim Munir on Tuesday stressed the need for “multi-domain preparedness” to counter a broad spectrum of security challenges facing the country, saying they ranged from conventional military threats to cyber, economic and information warfare.
Pakistan’s security environment has remained volatile following a brief but intense conflict with India earlier this year, when the two nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile and artillery fire while deploying drones and fighter jets over four days before a ceasefire was brokered by the United States.
Pakistan has also been battling militant violence in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where authorities say armed groups operate from across the border in Afghanistan and receive backing from India. Both Kabul and New Delhi have rejected claims.
The military has also warned that disinformation constitutes a new form of security threat, prompting tighter regulations that critics say risk suppressing dissent. Munir also pointed to a “complex and evolving” global, regional and internal security landscape while addressing participants in the National Security and War Course at the National Defense University (NDU).
“These challenges span conventional, sub-conventional, intelligence, cyber, information, military, economic and other domains, requiring comprehensive multi-domain preparedness, continuous adaptation and synergy among all elements of national power,” he said, according to a military statement.
“Hostile elements increasingly employ indirect and ambiguous approaches, including the use of proxies to exploit internal fault lines, rather than overt confrontation,” he continued, adding that future leaders must be trained and remain alert to recognize, anticipate and counter these multi-layered challenges.
Munir also lauded the NDU for producing strategic thinkers who he said were capable of translating rigorous training and academic insight into effective policy formulation and operational outcomes.
