Bannu: Eight killed, several injured in roadside blast

BANNU: At least eight people were killed and several others injured when a roadside bomb exploded in the Barghantu area of Bannu on Saturday morning, police said. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the bomb blast in Bannu that claimed multiple lives and expressed deep grief over the loss of life.

According to officials, the explosive device was planted along the roadside and detonated as a passenger van travelling from Hathikhel village to Bannu passed through the area. A second vehicle was also caught in the blast. District Police Officer Yaser Afridi said five passengers in the van and two people in the second vehicle were among the dead. The injured were shifted to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital for treatment.

A local administration vehicle carrying a tehsildar from the Sub-Division Wazir area, Abidullah, was also damaged in the explosion, though he remained unharmed, officials added.

Due to difficult terrain and remote access routes, rescue teams initially faced challenges in transporting the injured to medical facilities. Reports also suggested a second blast occurred at the same location shortly after the first explosion.

Security forces and police cordoned off the area soon after the incident and began collecting evidence from the site. A search operation has also been launched in surrounding areas.

Hospital sources said several injured individuals were in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office media wing on Saturday, the premier prayed for the higher ranks of those killed in the incident and for strength and patience for their families. He also prayed for the swift and complete recovery of the injured. PM Shehbaz directed the concerned authorities to ensure the provision of all possible medical facilities to the injured and ordered an immediate investigation into the attack.

Describing terrorism as a “heinous conspiracy against humanity, peace and stability in Pakistan,” the prime minister said such cowardly acts could not weaken the nation’s resolve. He vowed that terrorists and their facilitators would be brought to justice and punished under the law, adding that the state remained fully committed to eliminating terrorism in all its forms.

The prime minister said the sacrifices of the martyrs were a national trust and pledged that their blood would not go in vain. He reiterated that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism would continue until its complete eradication.