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PESHAWAR/MIRANSHAH:
Life came to a standstill in North Waziristan on Sunday after unknown assailants blew up another vital connecting bridge in Mir Ali tehsil, isolating entire communities from markets, hospitals and agricultural lands, while police and security forces intensified targeted operations against terrorist elements in other parts of the province.
According to police, the bridge in Makinah village in Khushhali was destroyed late at night using explosive material, completely cutting off land access to nearby settlements.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched investigations, while the explosion left residents suffering serious hardship.
Meanwhile, locals complained that schoolchildren, patients, the elderly and women were among the worst affected, with no alternative routes available for ambulances or emergency services. Agricultural activity and daily trade have also been severely disrupted.
Tribal elder Malik Deen Sardar expressed his anguish over the destruction. “This bridge was the lifeline of our lives. Now taking patients to the hospital has become a serious challenge. How long will we continue to pay the price for such actions?”
Social activist Jalal Khan echoed similar concerns. “We had pinned our hopes on peace, but the repeated destruction of bridges shows that the suffering of ordinary people does not matter to anyone.”
He added that one force was leaving behind innocent corpses, while another was making life unbearable by destroying infrastructure, leaving civilians trapped in the middle.
Residents strongly condemned the attack and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible, the urgent reconstruction of the bridge and the enhancement of permanent security measures to prevent such incidents.
Police said evidence had been collected from the scene and the nature of the explosives was being determined.
