Explosion in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kills Two, Injures 17

At least two people, including a child, were killed and 17 others injured in an explosion near Miryan police station in Bannu district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, Dawn reported. Police said the blast took place near shops in front of the station when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated. According to a police statement cited by Dawn, a time bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded at the site. While civilians in the vicinity were affected, police personnel remained unharmed. Rescue teams transferred the injured and the deceased to nearby hospitals, with several of the wounded reported to be in critical condition. Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan confirmed that the area was cordoned off and a search operation launched. A heavy police contingent, along with the bomb disposal squad, quick response force, and armoured personnel carriers, was deployed. Evidence is being collected, and investigations are ongoing. The Bomb Disposal Squad is clearing the site “to ensure timely and effective prevention of any possible further threat,” the statement said. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the explosion and expressed sorrow over the deaths, denouncing the perpetrators as “enemies of humanity” who threaten the province’s peace. Opposition leader Ibadullah Khan also condemned the attack, saying, “Elements hostile to peace want to disturb the province’s calm; the nation should unite to confront them.” He called the killing of innocent citizens “extremely regrettable” and added, “An attack on the province’s peace is an attack on the entire nation; the government must take immediate and effective action. Such cowardly attacks cannot weaken our morale.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed frequent attacks in recent months. In January, two boys were injured in an explosion in Bannu’s Domel area, one of whom later died of his injuries, Dawn reported. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced President Trump’s endorsement of Hungary’s far-right leader Viktor Orban ahead of elections, highlighting US support for far-right parties across Europe, including Germany, Poland, the UK, and France. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.