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By Saud Mehsud and Mushtaq Ali<\/p>\n
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan May 9 (Reuters) – A car bombing at a police post in northwestern Pakistan \u200cfollowed by an ambush on police personnel rushing to the scene \u200cto provide backup has killed at least 12 officers, police said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Images after the attack \u200bon Saturday showed the structure had been reduced to rubble, with bricks, charred wreckage, and mangled vehicles scattered around the area.<\/p>\n
Police official Sajjad Khan said in a statement that the bodies of 12 officers had been recovered from the \u200ccollapsed outpost and three personnel \u2060were found alive and rushed to hospital.<\/p>\n
A police official who asked not to be identified said militants first rammed into \u2060the post with an explosive-filled car and then entered the premises and began firing on any remaining officers.<\/p>\n
“Other law enforcement personnel were sent to help the police, \u200bbut the \u200bterrorists ambushed them and caused some \u200bcasualties,” he said.<\/p>\n
Police sources said the \u200cmilitants also used drones in the attack.<\/p>\n
Ambulances from rescue agencies and civil hospitals rushed to the scene, with officials saying a state of emergency had been declared in government hospitals in Bannu.<\/p>\n
A militant alliance known as the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n
Militant attacks have the potential to reignite fighting along \u200cPakistan’s border with Afghanistan. The worst fighting \u200bin years erupted between the allies-turned-foes in February, \u200bwith Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan \u200bthat Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.<\/p>\n
Fighting has since eased, with \u200coccasional skirmishes breaking out along the \u200bborder, but no \u200bofficial ceasefire has been brokered.<\/p>\n
Islamabad blames Kabul for harbouring militants who use Afghan soil to plot attacks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
The Taliban has denied the allegations \u200band said militancy in \u200cPakistan is an internal problem.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail \u200bKhan and Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing \u200bby Rod Nickel and Kim Coghill)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n