Bannu: Police checkpoint in NW Pakistan attacked by militants
Pakistani security personnel stand guard outside the Supreme Court building during a hearing in Islamabad on Jan. 19, 2012.
A security checkpoint in the northwestern Pakistani city of Bannu was attacked by militants early today, sparking a gunbattle that killed at least one police officer, local officials told Agence-France Press.
Local police chief Waqar Ahmed said there was an "exchange of fire" between police and a group of some half-dozen militants who assaulted the police intelligence building there with gunfire and grenades, said AFP.
More from GlobalPost: Ahmed Khan Samangani, prominent MP, killed in Afghanistan wedding attack
Army soldiers were called into the city, which lies in the country's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, in order to help local forces, which have surrounded the building, according to PTI news agency.
Authorities have imposed a curfew, said AFP.
Nearly 400 prisoners escaped a Bannu detainment center in an April jailbreak led by the extremist Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, said PTI.
Violence is relatively common in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, considered a haven of militant activity and a crossing point for insurgents traveling between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.