At least nine people were killed and more than 24 others injured after a bomb explosion ripped through a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, according to police officials.
The blast reportedly occurred when an explosive device planted inside a rickshaw detonated in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Traffic Police Officers Among the Dead
Local police chief Azmat Ullah said the victims included two traffic police officers and one woman. Several injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals, while security forces sealed off the area soon after the explosion.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact nature of the attack and identify those responsible.
Suspicion Falls on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the bombing so far. However, officials suspect the involvement of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as TTP.
The militant outfit, although separate from the Afghan Taliban government, is considered its ally. TTP has intensified attacks against Pakistani security forces in recent months, particularly in the country’s northwestern regions.
Recent Rise in Militant Attacks
The latest attack comes only days after another deadly assault in the nearby Bannu district, where 15 police personnel were killed in a suicide bombing and gun attack on a security post.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence since the return of the Taliban government in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan Accuses Taliban of Sheltering Militants
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan of providing safe haven to TTP militants operating against Pakistan.
However, the government in Kabul has denied the allegations, maintaining that Afghan soil is not being allowed to be used by terrorists to launch attacks against other countries.