PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A blast in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed at least two people, police officials reported, according to Pakistani media.
The explosion occurred near the Board Bazaar area in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, also injuring one person who was taken to Lady Reading Hospital in critical condition.
Local reports suggest that explosives were attached to a motorcycle. Footage broadcast by Geo News TV showed a charred motorcycle in the road’s center, with security personnel securing the area.
Counterterrorism officials have reached the scene to investigate the explosion’s nature, as reported by Pakistani media. Peshawar’s police chief, Kashif Abbasi, noted that initial findings indicate the suspected bomber was also among the deceased.
Pakistan has seen an increase in militant activities over the past year, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, following the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s ceasefire termination with the government in November 2022.
The Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that 10 militants were eliminated in two separate security operations in the North Waziristan district a day before this incident.
A security report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies highlighted that Pakistan experienced 1,524 violence-related deaths and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counterterror operations in 2023, reaching a six-year peak.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have emerged as the main violence hotspots, contributing to over 90 percent of the fatalities and 84 percent of the attacks, including terrorism and security forces’ responses.
