At least two policemen were martyred and 31 others, including police and civilians, were wounded after an improvised explosive device (IED) blast rocked Rustam Bazaar in Wana town, South Waziristan district, an official said on Saturday.
The deadly explosion occurred in the Rustam Bazaar of the KP's tribal district at around 5pm. Following the incident, police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
According to police officials, the explosion occurred when police officers on routine patrol were present in Rustam Bazaar, Wana. During this time, explosive material planted near the main gate of the supermarket detonated with a loud blast, injuring policemen and civilians present at the scene, while two policemen were martyred on the spot.
DSP Wana Circle Asghar Ali Shah said that the explosive material had been planted at the main entrance of the supermarket and was detonated through a remote control or a timed device.
Immediately after the blast, residents, police personnel and rescue teams initiated relief operations and shifted the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana.
Medical Superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital Wana, Dr Jan Mohammad, said that the bodies of two policemen were brought to the hospital, while the injured included five police officers, SHO, Saif Ullah, SI, Ali Muhammad, SI, Muzamil, ASI, Momin Khan, constable Lal Mohammad and 26 civilians.
A total of 31 injured persons were brought to the hospital. He added that the injured included elderly people, children and young individuals, and several of them were being provided immediate medical treatment. Following the incident, an emergency was declared at DHQ Hospital Wana to ensure timely medical care for the injured.
DSP Wana Asghar Ali Shah further said that Additional SHO Momin was also among the injured policemen and had been shifted to Scouts Hospital Wana in critical condition. Police have initiated a formal investigation to determine the nature of the blast and identify those responsible, while security in the area has been further tightened.
DSP Wana Circle, Asghar Ali Shah, further stated that three police officers who were seriously injured in the IED blast at Rustam Bazaar in Lower South Waziristan — SHO Wana Saifullah, SI Muhammad Ali, and Additional SHO Momin — have been shifted to CMH Peshawar through an air ambulance for further treatment.
The funeral prayers of two police constables, martyred Mirza Alam and Gul Shah, who were martyred in the IED blast in Wana Bazaar, were offered late at night with full official honours at the Wana Police Lines.
Deputy Commissioner Lower South Waziristan Musarrat Zaman, Commandant South Waziristan Scouts Muhammad Tahir, Additional Deputy Commissioner Khalid Burki, Additional Assistant Commissioner Wana Rizwan Burki, along with other police officers, attended the funeral prayers.
This incident came amid ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq launched by the Pakistani armed forces in border areas along and inside Afghanistan against terrorist elements backed by the Afghan Taliban regime.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Suhail Afridi, has taken notice of the IED blast in Wana, Lower South Waziristan, and strongly condemned the incident.
The chief minister directed the Inspector General of Police to submit a detailed report on the incident.
Afridi expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of three policemen and injuries to 31 people, including four policemen, in the blast. He also extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
He said the provincial government stood with the families of the martyrs in their grief.
The chief minister also directed the relevant authorities to ensure the immediate provision of the best possible medical facilities to the injured.
He further ordered emergency measures for the treatment of the seriously injured SHO and ASI.
Afridi said cowardly acts of terrorists could not weaken the resolve of the people and the government.
He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs, early recovery of the injured and patience and strength for the bereaved families.
