Miranshah:
At least four civilians were martyred, while another 14, including two police officers, were injured in a pump attack remotely detonated against a police patrol vehicle in a bustling market in the tribal district of South Waziristan of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday morning.
No group immediately attributed the responsibility of the deadly bombardment, but the similar attacks in the past were carried out by the forbidden Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which officials claim that they are operating from their shelters through the border in Afghanistan.
The police vehicle suffered partial damage in the attack, police said, added that most victims were passers -by and merchants. The bomb shot near the main taxi stop in Wana Bazaar during peak hours, which caused panic and chaos in the market.
The witnesses said the bomb was activated moments after the police vehicle stopped near the taxi post. The windows of several stores were shattered due to the impact of the explosion and the scenes similar to the stampede. The rescuers and the law agents rushed to the scene and took the casualties to the Hospital of the District headquarters, where an emergency state was declared.
The doctors at the hospital confirmed that four civilians succumbed to their wounds, while two of the injured were also in critical condition. Two police officers are among the injured, since they were aboard the mobile that escaped by little direct blow.
Wana DSP Shakirullah told Express PAkGazette that it was an improvised explosive device (FDI) that was remotely detonated. “The police vehicle suffered minor damage, but unfortunately, civilians near the worst part of the explosion,” he added.
Shortly after the explosion, the police, together with the experts in bombing elimination, threw a security cord around the area and began to collect forensic evidence of the crime scene. A human hunt was also launched in nearby areas for the terrorists involved in the attack.
All stores and companies in Wana Bazaar were closed, and the area led to a deserted appearance in the midst of palpable fear and pain. Local tribe members expressed concern about the deterioration of the security situation in the border district, where TTP terrorists once influenced.
“We are living under a constant threat. The government has not been able to protect us,” said a local merchant, echoing the feelings of many merchants and residents.
The tribal elders strongly condemned the bombing and demanded immediate and concrete measures to restore peace in the volatile district. “This is not the first incident of this type, and it will not be the last one unless a serious change in the security approach is made. People are seized of fear and look towards the state for protection,” said Malik Nazar Khan, an outstanding old man, to The Express PAkGazette.
The attached commissioner of Waziristan del Sur, Bajo, has ordered an exhaustive investigation into the incident and ordered the law enforcement agencies that lead perpetrators to justice as soon as possible.
The attacks aimed at security forces, police and civilians have seen an acute increase in various parts of the volatile district in recent months. Explosions, ambush and murder incidents have been frequently informed from areas that include Wana, Birmal, Shakai and Ladha.
The locals have warned that if appropriate measures are not taken, the situation can return to the violent era of 2008-9 when the region was virtually governed by terrorist groups. The last explosion is a marked reminder that peace is still difficult to achieve in the district.
