Two people were killed while 10 others were injured in a bomb blast in the Wana tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday, police said.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces. Attacks increased after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022.
Lower South Waziristan’s District Police Officer Tahir Khan told Dawn.com: “Two people died, while two policemen were among 10 individuals injured in a blast in the Wana bazaar.”
He added that the wounded were immediately taken to the Wana District Headquarters Hospital. Security forces have cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to trace the perpetrators, DPO Khan added.
Investigation was also underway to determine the nature of the bomb used, the officer noted.
The incident follows residents’ complaints of the open display of firearms and the free movement of armed men in Wana’s Rustam Bazaar, an important commercial hub of Lower South Waziristan.
Sources said no one was allowed to roam Rustam Bazaar openly carrying weapons, and that strict measures would be implemented soon to curb the practice.
Pakistan witnessed a slight uptick in militant violence in July, according to a report released by the think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Picss). KP, including its tribal districts, remained the epicentre of militancy, accounting for 53 of the 82 attacks recorded nationwide.
A day ago, a police constable was among two people injured when Upper South Waziristan Deputy Commissioner Asmatullah Wazir’s vehicle came under attack in the district’s Ladha tehsil.
Also yesterday, four security personnel and a policeman were among seven people martyred in two separate firing incidents in KP’s Karak and Peshawar districts.
On Tuesday, unidentified attackers fired a rocket targeting a Scout camp in Wana. Although there were no reports of casualties or property damage, the explosion caused widespread fear and concern among residents.
Last Sunday, two militant commanders and the brother of a tribal elder were killed in a clash between the banned TTP (Gul Bahadar group) and family members of elder Malik Ashiq Noor in the Dana area of Lower South Waziristan’s Birmal tehsil.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.