In a tragic incident on Friday, a bomb blast targeting a police patrol in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, claimed the lives of six individuals and left 21 others injured, the officials from area said on Friday.
The explosion occurred near the route of a police patrol in the city, said a police officer who added that it remained unclear whether the blast resulted from a suicide attack or an explosive device planted nearby.
No specific breakdown of police officers and civilians among the 6 causalities were given so far.
As injured victims were being transported to the hospital, unidentified assailants opened fire on the police officers present at the scene. Among the injured are individuals identified as Abdul Hameed, Ishaq, Qudratullah, Nasir, Yasmin, Shireen, and others. Police swiftly cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the blast was caused by a motorcycle rigged with explosive materials. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 20 years old. One of the deceased was identified as Qamar Zaman, and several students from Government Degree College were among those injured in the shooting incident following the blast.
Simultaneously, another act of terrorism occurred near the Hathala Police Station in DI Khan, where a young man lost his life in a separate bomb blast.
The explosion targeted a joint party of army and police. Initial inquiries revealed that the explosives were planted on the roadside and detonated remotely. Following the blast, a fierce exchange of fire between the attackers and security forces ensued.
In response to the incidents, the caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa strongly condemned the attacks, denouncing the loss of innocent lives as a “cowardly and barbaric act.”
The government asserted that such heinous acts would not demoralize the nation or law enforcement agencies, emphasizing their resolve to combat terrorism and maintain peace and stability.
