NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Another key bridge was blown up using explosives in the Mir Ali tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, causing severe difficulties for and triggering anger among residents.

According to police, the explosion occurred in Khushhali (Makinah) village of Mir Ali, where unidentified assailants carried out the blast late on Saturday night, destroying the bridge and cutting off the area’s land connectivity with nearby settlements, markets and agricultural lands.

Soon after the incident, police and security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.

Earlier on Wednesday, a bridge over the Kurram River in North Waziristan’s Shewa tehsil was blown up.

Residents said students, patients, the elderly and women were the worst affected, while agricultural activities and local businesses also suffered heavily due to the destruction of the bridge. With no alternative routes available, they added, ambulances and other emergency services are facing serious hurdles, adding to public distress.

Expressing strong resentment, local tribal elder Malik Din Sardar said, “This bridge was the lifeline of our area. Now it has become extremely difficult to transport patients to hospitals. How long will we keep paying the price for such actions?”

He questioned why ordinary citizens were being made to suffer losses and hardships through no fault of their own.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2026