Seven killed as twin blasts strike passenger vehicle in Bannu

At least seven people were killed and three others injured when two roadside bomb explosions struck a passenger vehicle in northwestern Pakistan, police said Saturday. The attack took place in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area that has long faced militant violence.

What happened in the Bannu twin blasts?

Two roadside bombs struck within roughly a kilometre of each other in Marka Bera, a remote mountainous area of Bannu's Wazir sub-division. The first blast hit a passenger vehicle directly, while the second struck a rescue vehicle carrying the wounded and the dead. Together, the explosions killed seven people and injured three others.

District Police Officer Yasir Afridi confirmed the explosions took place in Marka Bera. He said the first blast occurred when a passenger vehicle heading to Domel struck a roadside landmine, killing five people instantly and destroying the vehicle.

How did the second explosion happen?

Local residents arrived to rescue the victims and transport the injured to hospital, Afridi said. While the wounded were being moved in another vehicle, that car struck a second landmine roughly one kilometre from the first blast site, triggering a second explosion that killed two more people and destroyed the vehicle.

Rescue 1122 personnel shifted the bodies and injured to the Domel Rural Health Centre and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital. Afridi said security forces and police cordoned off the area after the blasts, collected evidence, and launched an investigation, with a search operation underway to trace those responsible.

Who claimed responsibility for the Bannu blasts?

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Police officials said preliminary findings suggest that militants planted the landmines used in both explosions.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the incident and requested a detailed report from police on the explosions. Noor Daraz Wazir, a member of the Aman Lashkar of the Hathikhel tribe, said all the victims belonged to the Hathikhel tribe and had no enmity with anyone, adding that the tribe has resisted militants attempting to settle in the area for years.

Why does Bannu face frequent militant attacks?

Bannu sits near Pakistan's former tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan, a region long vulnerable to militant violence. Several armed groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, remain active in the area and have repeatedly targeted security forces, government officials, and local communities they consider hostile.

Despite ongoing counterterrorism operations, insurgent groups continue to exploit the region's rugged terrain and persistent security gaps, making attacks like the Marka Bera twin blasts a recurring threat for residents.