LAKKI MARWAT: At least nine people, including two traffic policemen, were martyred while 33 others were injured on Tuesday in a blast in the Serai Naurang tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, police said.

Initially, Lakki Marwat district police officer’s spokesperson Qudratullah Khan, in a statement, said that seven people, including two traffic cops, were killed while 23 others were injured. He identified the martyred police officials as Adil Jan and Rahatullah.

Separately, Lakki Marwat Deputy Inspector General of Police Sajjad Khan said that both the deceased were traffic police officials. A statement issued by the KP chief minister’s office also stated that the officials were traffic policemen.

Subsequently, Lakki Marwat Deputy Commissioner Hameedullah Khan issued a statement saying that at least nine people were martyred. He said that, as per initial reports, terrorists had planted explosives in a rickshaw.

An incident report issued by the THQ Hospital confirmed that nine people were killed in the incident, as well as the names of the traffic police officials. According to the report, 33 injured and brought to the hospital, out of which five were referred to Bannu.

Meanwhile, the Lakki Marwat DC also visited the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Sarai Naurang, where the injured were receiving medical attention and directed the administration to provide them with the best available facilities. He added that the critically injured had been referred to the District Headquarters Hospitals in Bannu and Peshawar.

Videos circulating on social media platforms showed several shops and three-wheelers damaged in the blast.

The police official said that a large police contingent led by the Naurang Circle deputy superintendent of police reached the site of the blast. The team cordoned off the area and collected evidence.

In an earlier statement, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shahdab Khan had confirmed the blast, stating that ambulances and teams had been dispatched to the site of the incident. He had requested the public to cooperate with rescue agencies and avoid the blast site.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief at the incident, reiterating the country’s resolve towards “eradicating the scourge of terrorism,” state-broadcaster PTV reported.

He said that all relevant institutions were working towards eradicating terrorism with “unwavering resolve,” and directed an inquiry into the blast.

The premier, in his statement, lauded the “sacrifices made by law enforcement agencies and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured,” as per PTV.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the KP inspector general of police, as per a statement.

He expressed sorrow at the loss of life, vowing “full facilitation” to the families of the deceased on the part of the provincial government. He also directed authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured.

The development comes after at least 15 police personnel were martyred on Saturday night in a suicide attack on the Fateh Khel police post in Bannu.

On Monday, the Afghan chargé d’affaires was summoned and handed a “strong demarche” over the attack in Bannu. The Foreign Office said that investigations showed the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan.