At least nine people have been killed and about 30 others wounded after an explosion tore through a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan.
Police said the blast on Tuesday was caused by a bomb-laden rickshaw in the town of Sarai Naurang in Lakki Marwat district, near the Afghan border.
Local police chief Azmat Ullah said two traffic police officers and a woman were among those killed in the attack.
Dozens injured in explosion
Emergency response agency Rescue 1122 said nearly 30 wounded people were taken to nearby hospitals, including medical centres in Bannu for critical treatment.
Mohammad Ishaq, medical superintendent of THQ Hospital, said the hospital had received 37 patients, with several suffering serious injuries.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise as some victims remain in critical condition.
No claim of responsibility
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The attack came only days after 21 police officers were killed in a separate bombing and gun attack on a security post in nearby Bannu district.
Pakistani authorities blamed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for that assault. The armed group is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban administration but remains closely allied to it.
Regional tensions remain high
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering TTP fighters responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the accusations, calling Pakistan’s claims baseless.
Violence has surged in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul, with cross-border tensions and armed attacks increasing in recent years.
Despite China-mediated talks earlier this year aimed at reducing violence between the two neighbours, sporadic clashes along the border have continued.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
