A South Waziristan IED blast in Makeen Bazaar killed a peace committee member and injured eight others on Friday, police said. The explosion occurred in the busy market of Upper South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dera Ismail Khan Regional Police Officer Ghulam Mubashir Makin said unidentified people attached the improvised explosive device to a motorcycle. The device exploded at around 10:45am, injuring nine people initially.
Three peace committee members, Inayatullah, Sharat Khan and Bangi Khan, were among those wounded in the South Waziristan IED blast. Rescue teams and local authorities shifted the injured to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
The three peace committee members were taken to Razmak Hospital, while other injured people received medical assistance at a local health facility. Deputy Superintendent of Police Hidayatullah later confirmed that Inayatullah died after reaching the hospital.
The South Waziristan IED blast also damaged several shops in Makeen Bazaar. The explosion destroyed merchandise and other items inside the affected businesses. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation after the attack.
Authorities registered a preliminary report and opened an investigation to determine who carried out the attack. Police personnel searched the area for evidence and possible suspects, while security was increased around the market.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about security in Upper and Lower South Waziristan. Residents have reported increasing worries over bomb blasts, targeted killings, kidnappings, extortion and attacks on police and security forces. The latest South Waziristan IED blast follows an attack earlier this week in Sararogha, where a police officer was killed and a peace committee volunteer was injured.
