Two people were killed and at least 10 others, including two police officers, were injured in a bomb blast in the Wana tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday, police said.
District Police Officer (DPO) Tahir Khan confirmed to Dawn the casualties, stating that the blast occurred in the busy Wana bazaar area. According to police sources, the victims included two passersby who died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries in the explosion.
The injured were immediately shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for medical treatment. Security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace those responsible for the attack, the DPO added.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the nature of the explosive device used in the incident.
The attack comes amid a surge in terrorist violence across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Security personnel and law enforcement agencies have increasingly come under attack, especially since the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in 2022.
While no group has yet claimed responsibility for Thursday’s bombing as yet, the region has seen similar attacks in recent months, often targeting security forces and civilians alike.
Targeted violence continues to plague Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the killing of tribal elder Malik Muhammad Rehman Dawar and his driver in North Waziristan on July 14. The attack, believed to be targeted, occurred as Dawar was en route to a peace Jirga. No group has claimed responsibility. Separately, a bomb targeted local leader Inamullah Khan in Lakki Marwat, killing one and injuring several. In Bajaur, ANP’s Maulana Khanzeb was also killed. Meanwhile, journalists in North Waziristan condemned a two-week internet blackout at the Miranshah Press Club, calling it a blow to press freedom and launching an online protest campaign in response.
