LAKKI MARWAT: At least seven people were killed and more than 18 others injured in an explosion near the Naurang police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Tuesday, according to police and hospital officials.
Police said the blast took place near a rickshaw in Naurang Bazaar in the Sarai Naurang area. The bodies of the seven victims were shifted to Naurang Hospital, hospital administration confirmed.
Officials said two traffic police personnel were also among those martyred in the explosion. Hospital authorities added that the injured included women and children who were brought to the facility for treatment.
Following the incident, an emergency was declared at Sarai Naurang Hospital, the administration confirmed.
District Police Officer Nazir Khan said the explosion involved a vehicle carrying more than one maund of explosive material. He added that terrorists had begun targeting innocent civilians and said investigators were determining whether the blast was a suicide attack or detonated remotely.
Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi sought a report on the incident from the Inspector General of Police. He described the blast as deeply tragic and assured that the provincial government would extend every possible support to the victims and their families.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to ensure that Afghan soil is not used by militant organisations to launch attacks inside Pakistan. However, the Afghan Taliban administration has so far refused to act against groups accused of carrying out attacks on Pakistani civilians and security personnel.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, months after both countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 following clashes sparked by unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces at multiple border points.
Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have yet to reach a breakthrough, largely due to Kabul’s reluctance to take action against militant outfits operating from Afghan territory.