Suicide Bombing Bid on Security Vehicle Foiled in Bannu, Two Soldiers Injured

A suicide bomber riding in a rickshaw attempted to ram a security forces MRAP vehicle near Al-Momin School in the Jani Khel Mali Khel area of Bannu. Security personnel opened fire and killed the attacker before he could reach the vehicle, averting a larger casualty toll; the resulting blast injured two soldiers, Sepoy Zeeshan and Sepoy Khairuddin, who were shifted to CMH Bannu for treatment. Majlis Askari Karwan, a TTP sub-faction reportedly led by Akhtar Mohammad Khalil from Afghanistan, claimed responsibility. Separately the same day, Bannu's Bomb Disposal Unit safely defused suspected explosive material found near the University of Science and Technology township.