At least three police officers were killed in a car bomb attack followed by a gun battle at a police post in Bannu district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late Saturday night. The attack occurred near the Afghan border when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the security checkpoint, causing multiple explosions and the collapse of the post.

Police official Zahid Khan said intense gunfire erupted between the attackers and security forces after the blast, and additional police coming to assist were also targeted. Local media reported that nearby civilian areas were damaged, injuring at least two civilians. Another officer, Sajjad Khan, warned that the death toll could rise as operations were still ongoing.

Security sources indicated evidence of drone use in the assault. Rescue teams and ambulances quickly reached the site, and emergency status was declared in Bannu’s government hospitals. No group has claimed responsibility so far, but the incident has raised concerns of renewed tension along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.