Suicide bombers detonate and breach wall of a military facility in Pakistan’s northwest

Pakistani soldiers stand guard on a road leading to the cantonment area in Bannu. (Courtesy: Reuters file photo)

Twin blasts struck a military facility Tuesday in the northwest Pakistani city of Bannu after suicide bombers blew themselves up to breach the wall, officials said.

Plumes of gray smoke rose into the air and there were gunshots after the explosions, said police officer Zahid Khan.

The army said two suicide bombers detonated near the wall of a sprawling military area in Bannu, which mainly houses offices and homes of security forces.

Bannu is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where militant groups like the Pakistani Taliban are active.

“After a breach in the wall, five to six more attackers attempted to enter the cantonment but were eliminated. Operations in the area are still ongoing,” the army said in a statement.

The blasts happened after sunset, when people would have been breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the third since Ramadan started Sunday in Pakistan.

Militants have targeted Bannu several times. Last November, a suicide car bomb killed 12 troops and wounded several others at a security post.

In July, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle and other militants opened fire near the outer wall of the military facility.