Two roadside bombs kill at least seven in northwestern Pakistan

Lead

At least seven people were killed and three others wounded on Saturday when two roadside bombs exploded in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The blasts struck in the Marka Bera area of Bannu district, a semi-tribal mountainous region, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

Coverage Comparison

Pakistani officials confirmed the casualty figures, though accounts of the attack's mechanics varied slightly. Bannu District Police Officer Yasir Afridi told Al Jazeera that the first explosion hit a vehicle and the second was detonated as rescuers responded. Deutsche Welle quoted Afridi as saying a private pickup truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED), and that the injured were being transported to hospital in a car when a second IED exploded.

The Hindu, citing Afridi, reported that the first blast killed five people on the spot and that a second blast at the same location targeted those involved in rescue efforts. Dawn's reporting placed the first explosion on a passenger vehicle travelling towards Domel and the second roughly a kilometre away, as the wounded were being shifted in a car. Rescue 1122 teams moved the dead and injured to Domel Rural Health Centre and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital, Dawn reported.

All four outlets placed the blasts in Bannu district, with Dawn specifying the location as Marka Bera in the Wazir sub-division. Deutsche Welle and The Hindu described the second blast as occurring as rescuers or residents responded, while Dawn said residents had rushed to the scene to recover bodies and transport the injured. No outlet reported an immediate claim of responsibility; Deutsche Welle noted suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been linked to similar attacks in the past.

Key Claims

• Two roadside bombs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed at least seven people and wounded three others, according to police and officials quoted across multiple outlets.
• The first blast targeted a passenger vehicle with a remote-controlled IED, killing five people, as reported by Deutsche Welle, The Hindu, and Al Jazeera.
• A second explosion struck as the wounded were being transported, killing two more people, according to Deutsche Welle and Dawn.
• No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, as reported by Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, and The Hindu.
• Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombings and said the government would bring those responsible to justice, according to Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle.
• President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent civilian lives and issued a warning to those providing support to terrorist networks, Deutsche Welle reported.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the incident and ordered a thorough investigation, The Hindu reported. Dawn also noted that authorities launched an investigation and were conducting a sweep for additional explosive devices.

Perspectives

Pakistani security officials: Bannu District Police Officer Yasir Afridi described the sequence of the blasts and confirmed the casualty figures, stating that the injured were being transported when the second IED exploded.

Provincial government: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the incident, directed police to submit a detailed report, and ordered a thorough investigation, The Hindu reported.

Federal government: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombings, expressed sorrow, and pledged to bring those responsible to justice. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condolences and issued a warning to those supporting terrorist networks, according to Deutsche Welle.

Unattributed: No group had claimed responsibility at the time of reporting. Deutsche Welle noted that suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which has been linked to similar attacks in the past, while Al Jazeera said the TTP and other armed groups operate in the area.