Thirteen civilians and five soldiers were killed when suicide bombers drove two explosive-laden cars into an army compound in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, the military said in a new death toll.
"In this intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, after putting up a heroic resistance, embraced martyrdom in the line of duty," it said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that 13 civilians were also killed.
The statement said 16 "terrorists," including four suicide bombers, were killed in the incident, while a nearby mosque and residential area suffered severe damage.
The attack took place in Bannu, a district in the turbulent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that lies adjacent to Pakistan's formerly self-governed tribal areas, once a hotbed for militancy.
"The terrorists entered Bannu Cantt from two different directions and, after an intense operation lasting several hours until this morning, all attackers were eliminated," provincial minister Pakhtoon Yar Khan told AFP.
Those killed included four children and three women, Khan said.
