Nine soldiers and five civilians were injured when a suicide bomber exploded his explosives-laden Land Cruiser jeep at a military checkpost in the Cantonment area of Bannu district on Wednesday, police and locals said.District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Alam Shinwari told Daily Times over telephone 14 people, including nine soldiers, were wounded in the suicide attack, which occurred at 2:15pm at the checkpost near the Combined Military Hospital.
He said the blast occurred in the Cantonment that houses government offices, residential facilities and military installations.
"We (police) had no information about where the vehicle came from," the Bannu DPO said, adding police and security forces cordoned off the area after the blast. He said forensic experts collected the suicide bomber's remains, and police had started an investigation after registering a case against unknown terrorists. He said the jeep used in the attack was completely destroyed, and only the bomber's hair were collected from the site, which would be sent for a DNA test. Shinwari said eight people had suffered minor injuries while four were in serious condition. He said a woman was also among the injured. Meanwhile, APP reported a powerful blast rocked the main compound wall of a school in the Cantonment area.