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• Police say five, including tribal elder, killed in first explosion, two in second blast; several injured
• Three suspects detained by police for questioning as locals vow to resist TTP
BANNU: Seven people were killed and three others injured on Saturday in two explosions in Marka Bera, a semi-tribal mountainous area of Bannu district, police said.
In a statement, the police said the two vehicles were targeted in “remote-controlled blasts” in the Phang Musa Khel area, terming the incidents a “cowardly act of terrorism”.
According to police and local sources, a vehicle was travelling towards Domel when it struck an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along the route, triggering a powerful blast that destroyed the vehicle and killed five people on the spot. Eyewitnesses said the second explosion occurred nearly a kilometre away from the site of the first blast. It killed two people while also destroying the vehicle.
Bannu DPO Yasir Afridi confirmed a total of seven people were martyred and three were injured in the explosions. He stated that police reached the site immediately, collected evidence, and launched an investigation into the incident.
According to the police officer, 40-45kg of explosives were used in the first blast while about 18-20kg of explosives were used in the second blast that targeted the vehicle shifting the victims of the first blast to the hospital.
According to sources, the apparent target of the attack was Malik Haji Ghafar Din, who was among the passengers. He, along with his nephew Saqib Iqbal and grandson Uzair Khan, was killed in the first blast.
Rescue 1122 teams subsequently shifted the bodies and injured victims to Domel Rural Health Centre and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital.
Collective funeral prayers were offered on Company Road, attended by DPO Yasir Afridi, tribal elders, and a large number of residents. Addressing the gathering after the funeral, tribal elder Malik Tawani Wazir stated that the victims had been targeted by terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Their oppression has continued for a very long time, but from today onward they will face a strong response.” He announced that any suspicious masked individuals seen in the area would no longer be tolerated, calling it the tribe’s “final warning”.
Three suspects in custody
Meanwhile, the police took three suspects in custody during a search operation launched after the explosions, while security forces continued to investigate the incident and were pursuing all possible leads to apprehend those responsible for the attacks.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the “improvised explosive device” and expressed his deep grief on the loss of innocent civilians’ lives. In a statement, he extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. “President Zardari warned the terrorists’ internal and external patrons who provide them with safe havens, logistics and financial assistance,” the Presidency said.
The president noted that terrorists wanted to undermine “Pakistan’s international diplomatic successes and efforts to promote peace”. Nevertheless, he affirmed, Pakistan would maintain its support for regional and global peace, and the “terrorists will be defeated”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the blasts and conveyed his grief over the deaths, state-run APP reported. He prayed for the elevated ranks of those killed in the blasts and for the complete recovery of the wounded.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026
