By Levina

A majort attack had taken place at Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan on 4th March. The Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB)-affiliated group Jaish al-Fursan (JaF) has claimed responsibility for the attack, raising concerns over the increasing militant activity in the region.

JaF Attack and background:

JaF, affiliated to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group (HGB), which operates under the strategic partnership of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), launched a coordinated assault on Bannu Cantt. Initial reports from both pro-TTP and pro-Pakistan Army sources presented conflicting narratives regarding the situation on the ground. While pro-TTP accounts claimed that some military buildings were captured, pro-Pakistan Army accounts claimed that the attack was foiled. But a day later the reality came to the fore.

JaF is known to have Al Hamza Suicide Battalion, its possible that the Al Hamza members carried out the suicide blasts. JaF is associated with an Afghan veteran who seems to have trained the JaF suicide battalion.

Sequence of Events

The attack began with two explosive-laden vehicles being detonated by JaF, causing significant destruction. Following these initial blasts, intense gunfire erupted as Pakistani commandos engaged the attackers. The 8th Light Commando Battalion of the Pakistan Army was swiftly deployed to the site to contain the situation.

Current Situation and Casualties

The Pakistani Army had cordoned off the entire area, restricting media access and prohibiting the release of videos from the encounter zone. However, pro-TTP accounts have circulated videos of the attackers on various platforms. As of the latest updates, the casualties reported are:

• 5 Pakistani soldiers killed, including two from the Anti-Terror Unit (ATU) Special Services Group (SSG).
• 5 soldiers injured.
• 13 civilians killed and 32 injured.

Among the soldiers killed, Lance Naik Faisal and Sepoy Saqlain were specially trained commandos assigned to counterterrorism operations. The presence of highly trained personnel shows the gravity of the situation and the level of resistance faced by the security forces.

JaF’s involvement in this attack, along with its association with Afghan veteran fighters, signals a heightened level of insurgency threats in the region. Given the strategic alliance between HGB and TTP, Pakistani security forces may need to reassess their counterinsurgency strategies to combat the growing influence of militant groups.JaF is called given the acronym JFM (Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad).

Pakistan Army has been kept on tenterhooks by Baloch groups and TTP and its allies.