BANNU: At least seven people were killed and three others injured in two consecutive explosions in the Marka Bera area of Bannu Wazir subdivision on Saturday, highlighting ongoing security concerns in the region.
According to Bannu District Police Officer Yasir Afridi, seven people were martyred while three sustained injuries in the back-to-back blasts. Security forces and law enforcement personnel reached the site soon after the incidents, collected evidence and launched an investigation.
Police and local sources said the first explosion targeted a passenger vehicle travelling towards Domel. The powerful blast completely destroyed the vehicle, killing five people on the spot and injuring several others.
Following the explosion, local residents rushed to assist the victims and began transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities. However, a second explosion occurred nearly one kilometre from the site of the first attack while the wounded were being shifted in another vehicle.
The second blast killed two more people and destroyed the vehicle carrying the victims, eyewitnesses said.
Rescue teams transported the deceased and injured to Domel Rural Health Centre and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital for medical treatment and further procedures.
Security forces subsequently cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Authorities are conducting a comprehensive sweep of the region amid fears that additional explosive devices could still be present.
The latest incident underscores the persistent security challenges facing Bannu, a district that has witnessed a rise in militant violence in recent months. Just a week earlier, militants allegedly attempted to damage the Teri Ram Bridge on Miryan Road using explosives.
On June 12, two police constables were martyred in separate targeted attacks, while last month a major clash involving law enforcement agencies, a local peace committee and militants left several people dead, including police personnel and civilians.
Amid the worsening security situation, local tribal elders recently urged the government to take decisive action against militancy and restore peace in the area.