LAKKI MARWAT: At least nine people, including two traffic policemen, lost their lives while 33 others were injured on Tuesday, after a bomb blast tore through a busy market in the Serai Naurang tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, police said.

Lakki Marwat Deputy Commissioner Hamee­dullah Khan said that, per initial reports, terrorists had planted explosives in a rickshaw.

Footage of the site of the bombing showed several shops and three-wheelers damaged in the blast, but no group has so far come forward to claim responsibility for the attack.

Shortly after the blast, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shahdab Khan said ambulances and rescue teams were dispatched to the site. He also requested people to stay away from the scene and cooperate with rescue agencies.

At least 33 injured as explosives planted in a rickshaw rip through busy marketplace

The Lakki Marwat district police officer’s spokesperson, Qudratullah Khan, identified the martyred police officials as Adil Jan and Rahatullah. A statement issued by the KP CM’s office confirmed that both were traffic police officials.

DC Hameedullah Khan confirmed that the death toll stood at nine, corroborating an incident report issued by the THQ hospital. According to the report, 33 injured people were brought to the hospital and five of them were referred to Bannu hospital.

The deputy commissioner visited the THQ 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 DHQ hospitals in Bannu and Peshawar.

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the country’s resolve towards “eradicating the scourge of terrorism,” state-broadcaster PTV reported. He said all relevant institutions were working towards eradicating terrorism with “unwavering resolve”, and directed an inquiry into the blast.

The premier lauded the “sacrifices made by law enforcement agencies and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured”.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi sought a report from the KP inspector general of police. He expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and directed the authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured.

The development comes only days after 15 policemen were martyred 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 Bannu attack. The FO said investigations showed the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan, a claim denied by the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026