North Waziristan/Peshawar –
At least eight people, including four police officers and two security officials, lost their lives in a suicide bombing on Saturday in North Waziristan’s Eidak area. The attack occurred when police and security forces were inspecting vehicles at the Aslam checkpoint, and the bomber, traveling in a rickshaw, detonated explosives, officials reported.
The tragic attack injured several individuals, with the wounded initially treated at a hospital in Miramshah before being airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Bannu district for further care. The site was promptly cordoned off, the road shut, and an investigation launched to identify the perpetrators.
No immediate statement was released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, regarding the incident.
Rising Wave of Attacks Targets Law Enforcement
The recent bombing adds to a growing list of violent incidents targeting security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 48 hours. Earlier this week, a coordinated attack in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan led to the martyrdom of 10 Frontier Constabulary officers. Responsibility for that attack was claimed by a banned militant group in apparent retaliation for a military operation in Bajaur district that resulted in the death of nine militants, including the influential militant leader Said Mohammad, known as Qureshi Ustad.
Targeting of Ex-JUI-F Senator’s Residence
In a related incident, militants on Friday night attacked the home of former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Maulana Mohammad Saleh Shah in Upper South Waziristan’s Khaisoor area. A bomb was planted near his residence, which damaged property but resulted in no casualties. Shah’s son, Shams, suggested that the attackers aimed to assassinate his father and attributed the motive to extortion demands that Mr. Shah had refused to meet.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the assault, with sources suggesting it may be linked to local extortion rings. The JUI-F leader and current president of the South Waziristan Upper Political Alliance condemned the incident and called on the government and law enforcement to take action against extortionists and restore peace.
National Condemnation and Call for Action
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow and condemnation for the loss of life resulting from the North Waziristan attack, vowing that “terrorists will never succeed in their evil designs.” KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur similarly condemned the incident, asserting that “cowardly acts” would not deter the resolve of the armed forces and local security. He promised public support and government backing in the fight against militancy, adding that efforts to achieve peace in the region would continue with full force.
The attack underscores ongoing security challenges in Pakistan’s northern and border regions, where renewed militant activity poses persistent risks to civilians and security forces alike.
