Two Policemen Martyred, 31 Injured Including Children in Wana Rustam Bazaar IED Blast

KP CM Condemns Blast, Seeks Report from IG Police

WANA: At least two policemen were martyred and 31 others, including security personnel and civilians, were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in Rustam Bazaar of Wana in South Waziristan district.

Wana Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah said the explosive device had been planted near the main entrance of a supermarket and was detonated either through a remote control or a timed mechanism.

He said that five Station House Officers (SHOs) and two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) were among those wounded. The powerful blast occurred in Rustam Bazaar, a busy marketplace in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal district, at around 5pm. Following the explosion, police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.

The incident occurred amid the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq launched by Pakistani security forces in border regions along and inside Afghanistan against terrorist elements allegedly backed by the Afghan Taliban regime.

According to reports, the explosion took place when policemen on routine patrol were present in the crowded market. Officials said the explosive device detonated with a loud blast, injuring several policemen and civilians present at the scene, while two policemen were martyred on the spot.

Soon after the explosion, local residents, police personnel and rescue teams rushed to the scene and started relief operations. The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Wana.

DSP Shah confirmed that 18 civilians, including children, were among those injured in the blast.

Medical Superintendent of DHQ Hospital Wana, Dr Jan Mohammad, said the bodies of two policemen were brought to the hospital while the injured included four policemen and more than a dozen civilians.

He stated that children and young individuals were also among the injured, who were receiving immediate medical treatment.

Following the incident, an emergency was declared at DHQ Hospital Wana to ensure prompt treatment for the wounded. DSP Shah further said that Additional SHO Momin was also among the injured and had been shifted to Wana Scouts Hospital in critical condition.

Police have launched a formal investigation to determine the exact nature of the explosion and identify those responsible, while security in the area has been tightened.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took notice of the incident and strongly condemned the blast.

The Chief Minister directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to submit a detailed report on the incident.

Afridi expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of two policemen and injuries to several others, including four policemen. He also extended condolences to the families of the martyrs and said the provincial government stood with them in their time of grief.

The Chief Minister directed the relevant authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and ordered emergency measures for the treatment of the critically wounded SHO and ASI.

Afridi said such cowardly acts of terrorism could not weaken the resolve of the people or the government.