On Tuesday, a roadside bomb explosion on Warsak Road in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, left at least seven individuals injured, including three children, as reported by ARY News. The incident occurred near Babu Garhi Chowk within the Machini Gate police station’s jurisdiction.
The blast, caused by four kilograms of explosives planted on the roadside, resulted in casualties, with two children in critical condition. The injured were promptly taken to Lady Reading Hospital. Following the explosion, law enforcement and Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the scene, cordoning off the area.
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Police are currently conducting further investigations into the incident. Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Justice (Retd) Arshad Hussain Shah, condemned the attack and sought reports from relevant authorities.
Last month, another tragic incident took place in Dera Ismail Khan, where a blast targeted the police, resulting in five fatalities and over 20 injuries.
Pakistan has experienced a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the termination of the ceasefire between the government and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November of the previous year.
Two of the children were in critical condition, Mohammad Asim, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, said.
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Warsak Superintendent Arshad Khan said the incident took place near Peshawar Public School. He added that around four kilograms of explosives were used in the IED which was disguised as a “cemented block”.
The police official also said that an investigation into the blast is underway. When asked about the likely target of the attack, Khan said it would be “premature” to say who the target was.
Rescue services shifted the injured to nearby medical facilities and the area was cordoned off by security forces after the incident.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Peshawar’s police chief, Mohammad Ashfaq Anwar, told Reuters that there was no indication school children were the target of the attack.