PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — An explosive device attached to a rickshaw detonated Tuesday at a marketplace in northwestern Pakistan, claiming the lives of at least nine individuals and injuring over 24 others, according to law enforcement officials. The incident marks another escalation in ongoing regional violence near the Afghanistan border.
The deadly blast occurred in the Lakki Marwat district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, confirmed local police commander Azmat Ullah. Among the fatalities were two traffic enforcement officers and one woman, Ullah reported.
While no organization has yet taken credit for the bombing, investigators are expected to focus on the Pakistani Taliban, formally called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. This militant organization operates independently from but maintains ties with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and has stepped up attacks on Pakistani security personnel in recent years.
Tuesday’s bombing follows closely after a devastating assault just days earlier that claimed 15 police officers’ lives through a combination suicide bombing and armed attack on a security installation in the neighboring Bannu district. That incident prompted Pakistani officials to formally protest to a high-ranking Afghan diplomatic representative.
Pakistani officials attributed Saturday’s deadly assault to TTP forces.
For years, Pakistan has maintained that Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership provides safe haven for TTP fighters. Afghan authorities have consistently rejected these accusations, insisting they prevent militants from using their territory to stage cross-border attacks.
The frequency of militant attacks within Pakistan has increased dramatically in recent years, creating diplomatic friction between the neighboring nations.
Both the TTP and similar extremist organizations have become increasingly aggressive since the Afghan Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021.
Cross-border tensions have remained high between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with violent confrontations resulting in hundreds of casualties since late February. Chinese mediators facilitated peace negotiations between both countries in early April, though intermittent border skirmishes persist at reduced levels compared to earlier periods.
