Three people, including a prominent tribal chief, were killed and four others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast at a marketplace in northwest Pakistan on Monday, according to police officials.
The explosion took place in a crowded commercial area near Gulshan Plaza in Wana town of South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The blast occurred at a busy time of the day, triggering panic among traders, shoppers and local residents in the market area.
Police said rescue personnel and local residents rushed to the site immediately after the explosion to assist the victims. The injured were shifted to Wana Headquarters Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of those killed were also transported there.
District Police Officer Mohammad Tahir Shah Wazir said the blast targeted a vehicle carrying Malik Tariq, the chief of the Ahmadzai tribe, as it passed through the marketplace. According to officials, the powerful explosion killed three people on the spot, including Tariq, and left four others seriously injured.
Also read: Two US fighter jets collide mid-air at Idaho air show
The attack created chaos across the market, forcing shopkeepers and business owners to shut down their establishments amid fears of further violence. Security forces quickly cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, while investigators began collecting evidence from the blast site to determine the nature and planning of the attack.
Local residents and tribal elders strongly condemned the incident and called on the government to reassess and strengthen security arrangements in the region, which has witnessed repeated militant violence in recent years.
In a separate incident reported from the Bajaur district of the same province, six members of a family were injured in what police described as a suspected drone strike on a residential house. The injured individuals were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar, where they were receiving medical treatment. Authorities said an investigation had been initiated into the circumstances surrounding the strike.
No organisation immediately claimed responsibility for either of the incidents. However, Pakistani authorities have frequently blamed the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for carrying out attacks targeting civilians, security personnel and government infrastructure, particularly in regions bordering Afghanistan. Violence in these areas has increased since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the militant group in November 2022.
Follow us
