EIGHTEEN people were killed in an attack on a military compound in northwestern Pakistan, the military said on Wednesday.
Suicide bombers drove two explosive-laden vehicles into the compound in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Tuesday.
A military statement said five soldiers and 13 civilians lost their lives in the attack.
"In this intense exchange of fire, five brave soldiers, after putting up a heroic resistance, embraced martyrdom in the line of duty," the statement said.
The military added that 16 attackers, including four suicide bombers, were killed. A nearby mosque and residential area were severely damaged.
Provincial minister Pakhtoon Yar Khan said the attackers entered Bannu Cantt from two directions.
"After an intense operation lasting several hours until this morning, all attackers were eliminated," he told AFP.
Among the civilians killed were four children and three women, Khan said.
(With inputs from AFP)
