ISLAMABAD, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Twelve civilians and six terrorists were killed and 32 people injured when terrorists targeted a cantonment area in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, according to police and government officials on Tuesday.

A group of terrorists, including suicide bombers, attempted to enter the cantonment area but failed due to timely response by security forces in Bannu district of the province, KP government spokesperson Mohammad Ali Saif told Xinhua.

He said that the terrorists rammed two explosive-laden vehicles into the wall of the cantonment, causing significant damage, adding that security personnel deployed at various entry points of the area engaged the terrorists, killing six of them on the spot.

A local senior police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that after the powerful explosion, the roofs of nearby buildings and a mosque collapsed, killing 12 civilians while injuring 32 others.

Following the incident, heavy contingent of police, security forces and rescue teams reached the scene and shifted the injured to district headquarters hospital, where several were in critical condition.

A state of emergency has been declared in all the hospitals in the district, according to hospital sources.

In a message on social media, Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the terrorist attack, describing it as a heinous act during the holy month of Ramadan.

The president lauded security forces for their swift action in eliminating the terrorists, saying the entire nation rejects such despicable actions. Enditem

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