Senior govt official among five killed in bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan

At least five people, including a senior local official and a tehsildar (revenue officer), were killed and 11 others injured in a bomb blast on Tuesday in the Bajaur district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, near the Afghan border.

District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq told Nukta that the explosion occurred on Nawagai Road in Khar tehsil, as government officials were returning to the Khar headquarters after completing routine duties.

Among those killed were Assistant Commissioner Nawagai Faisal Ismail, Tehsildar Abdul Wakeel (a sub-district revenue officer), Subedar Noor Hakeem, police constable Rasheed and a civilian. Rafiq said the official vehicle appeared to be the main target of the attack and was completely destroyed in the blast.

Both the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) have separately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Assistant Commissioner Faisal Ismail who lost his life in the blast.Author

He noted that the explosion was likely caused by a remote-controlled device or an improvised explosive device (IED), but emphasized that bomb disposal unit (BDU) teams were on the scene to confirm the exact cause.

Riaz Ahmed, Media Coordinator for Rescue 1122 Bajaur, said 11 others were wounded and shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Khar for treatment.

Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Saleem Shah confirmed the hospital had received 11 injured individuals along with four bodies. He added that while seven injured were being treated at DHQ Khar, four others -- suffering from head injuries and multiple fractures -- had been transferred to Peshawar in critical condition.

In response to the attack, Ihtisham Ali, Advisor to the KP Chief Minister on Health, directed authorities to declare an emergency at the hospital and ensure all necessary medical care was provided.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed instructed the regional police officer (RPO) Malakand to submit a comprehensive report on the incident. He also tasked the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) with intensifying intelligence-based operations against terror elements.

“A special team comprising officials from the CTD and Special Branch has been formed to support the investigation and gather intelligence related to the attack,” he added.

Advisor to the CM on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, condemned the deadly attack and assured the public that the sacrifices of the martyred officials would not go in vain. “The chief minister has ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident,” he said.

Bajaur, located along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has long been a flashpoint for militant activity, particularly involving the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State group (Daesh).