Islamabad, Jan 24 (IANS) At least six people were killed, and more than a dozen others sustained injuries after a suicide bombing struck wedding celebrations in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, local media reported on Saturday.
The blast targeted the residence of Noor Alam Mehsud, head of the Aman (Peace) Committee, in Dera Ismail Khan district late on Friday. Mehsud himself was also injured in the incident.
The explosion occurred while the wedding ceremony was underway, triggering panic and chaos at the venue. Several people were wounded in the blast and were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to leading broadcaster Geo News.
Authorities said the exact nature of the blast is still being ascertained, but preliminary findings indicate that it was a suicide attack. Police also said that the attackers resorted to firing after carrying out the bombing.
Investigation teams and forensic experts remained present at the site for several hours, collecting evidence to identify the attacker and trace the network behind the attack.
According to police and security officials, the severed head of the suicide bomber, believed to be around 17 years old, was recovered from the blast site and taken into custody for forensic examination and identification, reported leading Pakistani daily The Express Tribune.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the suicide blast and sought an immediate report from the provincial police chief. He also directed the concerned authorities to ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
Calling the incident “unfortunate,” the chief minister said that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.
The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, have been particularly affected by such attacks in recent times.
This was not the first time Noor Alam Mehsud, head of the Mehsud Peace Committee in South Waziristan, has been targeted.
In 2022, two suicide bombers attempted to attack him at his office in Dera Ismail Khan. Both attackers were killed outside the office, and peace committee volunteers successfully thwarted the attempt, according to The Express Tribune.
Last month, three police personnel were killed in a bomb attack targeting a police vehicle in Dera Ismail Khan.
According to data released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan recorded more than a 25 per cent increase in overall violence last year, with at least 3,187 fatalities and 1,981 injuries linked to violence involving civilians, security forces and criminals.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emerged as the worst-hit region, accounting for nearly 68 per cent, or 2,165, of the country’s total violence-related fatalities and over 62 per cent, or 732, of all reported incidents.
In the province, deaths during security operations stood at 1,370, exceeding fatalities from militant attacks, which numbered 795, by 72 per cent.
–IANS
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