TIMERGARA: A child was slightly injured when an improvised explosive device went off with a bang behind a busy market at Chakdara on Sunday, police officials and residents said.

The residents said the explosion though did not inflict any losses it spread panic and fear in the locality.

Sources said the IED went off in a street behind the famous Sapna Market at Chakdara.

A minor identified as Sudais was slightly injured as according to the police he was passing nearby when the blast occurred.

The Chakdara police registered a case and started investigation.

Security forces soon after the incident cordoned off the area and started a search operation. No one has so far accepted responsibility of the incident.

The Lower Dir is one of the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where bomb blasts and targeted killings were routine in 2009-10.

The area was declared safe after the Pakistan Army launched a military operation in May 2009.

The Taliban before the military operation had taken control of the whole of Maidan tehsil and some areas of Adenzai.

The security forces had been successful in flushing out the Taliban militants in late 2009.

The IED blast at Chakdara on Sunday frightened the local community.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2017