Islamabad (Rajeev Sharma): A devastating explosion in a bustling market area of northwestern Pakistan has left at least nine people dead and around 30 others injured, triggering a large-scale security operation in the region.
The blast struck Sarai Naurang in Lakki Marwat district on Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the crowded marketplace and causing widespread panic. Police officials said the explosion was caused by a rickshaw loaded with explosives that detonated in the busy locality.
Among those killed were two traffic police officers who were on duty at the time, along with a woman and several civilians. Emergency response teams quickly reached the area and shifted the injured to hospitals in nearby Bannu, where several victims are reported to be in critical condition.
Medical authorities confirmed that more than three dozen injured people were brought in for treatment, with doctors continuing efforts to stabilise those seriously wounded.
The motive behind the blast remains unclear, and no militant outfit has officially claimed responsibility so far. Investigators have begun collecting evidence from the scene to trace those involved.
The incident comes shortly after a deadly assault on a police facility in Bannu that claimed the lives of 21 security personnel. Pakistani officials had linked that attack to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, accusing the group of orchestrating growing violence in the region.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has denied allegations that attacks on Pakistani soil are being planned from across the border. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Islamabad’s claims and called them unfounded.
Security has now been tightened across sensitive districts near the Afghan frontier as fears rise over renewed militant activity. Authorities have launched an extensive probe and vowed strict action against those responsible for the latest carnage.
