Islamabad, April 7 – At least five police personnel were injured in an explosion in the Shahbazkhel town of Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, according to local media, citing confirmation from the police department.
According to leading Pakistani daily, Dawn, district police spokesperson Qudratullah said that the group "Fitna-al-Khawarij" carried out the attack on the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway. The term "Fitna al Khawarij" is used by the Pakistani authorities to refer to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant group.
He stated that the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to a motorcycle parked on the road exploded with a loud bang. The official added that the blast targeted a police patrol from the Shahbazkhel police station.
The police spokesperson said that one Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and four constables were injured in the blast. According to the spokesperson, the police van they were patrolling in was damaged in the explosion. The spokesperson stated that the injured police personnel were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
He further stated, "After the blast, a large police contingent reached the town, surrounded the area, and launched a search for the perpetrators of the attack."
In the past few months, police forces have faced attacks in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat, and Bajaur.
On Monday, two police personnel and a private security guard were killed after unidentified assailants attacked them in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported.
In the first incident, armed assailants on motorcycles targeted a police constable, Sher Mohammad, near the Kingar Jan Bahadar area on the Miryan Road. Police said that the constable was on his way to work when armed assailants opened fire on him, killing him instantly. Following the incident, law enforcement personnel reached the site, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation.
The second incident occurred in the Bakakhel area of Bannu, where a police constable, Rafiullah, who was deployed at a Nadra office, and a private security guard, Gul Shah Noor, were killed in a firing incident. Following the incident, police personnel reached the spot, cordoned off the area, gathered evidence, and launched a search operation for the attackers.