Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed announced that the terrorist network responsible for the attacks on Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak and Bannu Cantonment has been identified.
Speaking at a press briefing in Peshawar, IGP Hameed stated that crucial evidence has been gathered in both cases and several suspects have been apprehended. He added that further details will be disclosed once additional arrests are made.
The attack on Darul Uloom Haqqania, a prominent religious seminary in Nowshera district, occurred on February 28 and resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, including senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq group) leader Maulana Hamid ul Haq. At least 18 people were injured when a suicide bomber detonated explosives near the mosque’s front row just after Friday prayers.
The Bannu Cantonment attack took place on March 4, where 16 militants attempted to breach the high-security facility. The assailants were neutralized by security forces in a fierce gun battle. The confrontation claimed the lives of five security personnel and injured many others. Suicide blasts during the attack also led to the deaths of 13 civilians and left 32 injured.
According to the military’s media wing, the attackers were linked to extremist elements and had sought to carry out a large-scale assault on the cantonment. Their plan, however, was effectively foiled by the swift and coordinated response of the security forces.
IGP Hameed confirmed that those detained are suspected of being directly linked to these attacks. Investigations are ongoing, and more arrests are anticipated in the coming days.
