LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Two cops were martyred while 31 people, including five policemen and 26 civilians, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Wana’s Rustam Bazaar area on Saturday.

According to police officials, the explosion occurred when policemen on routine patrol were present in the area around 5pm. They said that explosive material was planted near the main gate of a supermarket, which caused casualties among policemen and civilians present at the scene.

Wana Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah said that the explosive material had been planted at the main entrance of the supermarket and was detonated through a remote control or a timed device.

Immediately after the blast, local residents, police personnel and rescue teams initiated relief operations and moved the injured to the district headquarters hospital.

The medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Jan Mohammad, said that the bodies of two policemen were brought to the facility. He said that the injured included five other cops, which he identified as Station House Officer Saifullah, Subinspectors Ali Muhammad and Muzammil, Assistant Subinspector Momin Khan and Constable Lal Muhammad.

He added that 26 civilians were also injured, bringing the total number to 31. He added that the injured included the elderly, children, and young people, and several of them were being provided immediate medical treatment. It should be mentioned that an emergency was declared at the hospital to ensure timely medical care for the injured.

Meanwhile, DSP Shah said that three of the injured police officers had been taken to the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar through an air ambulance for further treatment.

The funeral prayers of the two martyred policemen, identified as constables Mirza Alam and Gul Shah, were later offered with full official honours at the Wana Police Lines.

It was attended by Lower South Waziristan Deputy Commissioner Musarrat Zaman and other officials.

Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took notice and strongly condemned the incident. In a statement, the chief minister directed the inspector general to submit a detailed report on the incident.

He also expressed sorrow at the casualties in the incident and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He said the provincial government stood with the families of the martyrs in their grief.

The chief minister also directed the relevant authorities to ensure the immediate provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured.

Afridi said that such cowardly acts of terrorists could not weaken the resolve of the people and the government.

The incident comes a day after a suspected vehicle-borne suicide attack near the Chas­hma Sarbandki check post on the Bannu-Miranshah Road in North Waziristan left one civilian dead and 19 people, including two security personnel, injured.