By Our Correspondent

National News – At least 12 police officers were killed and five others injured after militants carried out a deadly car bomb attack on a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, according to security officials.

The attack happened late Saturday night in the Fateh Khel area of Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region battling rising militant violence along the Afghan border.

Police official Muhammad Sajjad Khan said a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the checkpoint before armed militants stormed the facility and opened fire on officers.

Authorities confirmed that 12 policemen died in the attack, while another officer was reported missing after the assault.

Officials disclosed that the attackers also used quadcopter drones and heavy weapons during the coordinated operation.

A senior administrative official in Bannu revealed that the militants seized weapons from the checkpoint and allegedly abducted some police personnel while retreating from the scene.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting security agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province that has witnessed growing militant activity in recent years.

The region borders Afghanistan and has become a hotspot for insurgent operations linked to extremist groups.

Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have worsened following repeated accusations by the Pakistani government that militants use Afghan territory as a safe haven for launching attacks.

However, the Taliban-led government in Kabul has consistently denied the allegations.

The strained relationship has recently resulted in armed clashes and reported Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory.

Security experts say the latest bombing highlights the increasing sophistication of militant attacks in Pakistan’s border communities, especially with the use of drones and coordinated armed assaults against law enforcement agencies.