Blast at cricket ground in northwestern Pakistan kills one, injures child

A blast at a cricket ground in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district on Saturday killed one person and injured a child, police said.

District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq told Nukta that the explosion, caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), occurred at Kausar Cricket Ground in Khar tehsil. “Two people were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), where one was pronounced dead,” he said.

Rafiq added that the blast appears to have been a targeted attack, though the motive and perpetrators remain under investigation.

No group has claimed responsibility, but both Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP-Daesh) have been active in the district in recent months.

Military actions continue in Bajaur

Amid a surge in militancy, security forces have launched renewed targeted operations in Mamund Tehsil, prompting the evacuation of more than 30 areas and displacing over 20,000 families.

According to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, 334 families have been housed in a Temporary Displaced Persons (TDP) camp at Bajaur Sports Complex, while about 900 families have been accommodated in government schools across the district. Many others are sheltering with relatives.

An official notification stated that residents of the last remaining area in Lowi Mamund Tehsil have been ordered to vacate, with 3,371 additional families to be registered as TDPs.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali said six small villages have been cleared of militants so far and urged displaced families to begin returning. “Once clearance operations are complete, all TDPs will be allowed to go back to their homes,” he added.

Bajaur Aman Jirga

The Bajaur Aman (Peace) Jirga - comprising representatives of political parties and local stakeholders - is scheduled to meet on Sunday to decide its next course of action, after giving authorities a seven-day deadline to end the ongoing military operation.

Maulana Abdur Rashid, a Jirga member and leader of JUI-F, accused the state of failing to meet its commitments and providing inadequate arrangements for displaced families. “We will take an effective decision, as we want peace in our district,” he said.

Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information, dismissed claims of a full-scale military operation in Bajaur, stating that security forces are conducting intelligence-based targeted actions against militants. “Whenever there is information about the presence of militants, action is taken - this is routine,” he said.

Timeline of ongoing action

The current military operation in Bajaur began on August 11 after talks between the Bajaur Aman Jirga and the TTP collapsed, leading authorities to impose a curfew in Mamund Tehsil. Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured, triggering renewed protests by the jirga.

An earlier operation on July 29 left three civilians dead and 11 others wounded, prompting local resistance and direct negotiations with the TTP. A 10-day ceasefire followed, but after seven rounds of talks failed, the military resumed its offensive.