One policeman was martyred and at least nine people were injured on Thursday in a blast in the Bara Bazaar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district, a hospital spokesperson said.
KP Inspector General (IG) Akhtar Hayat confirmed that the attack took place in a tehsil office’s compound.
Each district has a tehsil office, which is where local government officials perform their duties.
In a statement, IG Hayat said that two suicide attackers had tried to enter the premises of the tehsil office — one from the main gate and the other from the rear.
He stated that both the attackers were gunned down by the police, but added that “firing and blasts were carried out by both attackers”.
Samples of their DNA have been collected for further investigation, the IG said, adding that the blast damaged the office’s main gate and the building.
Meanwhile, Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) spokesperson Tuheed said in a statement that seven police personnel and two civilians were injured.
She added that one policeman was martyred in the blast while the condition of three of the injured was “stable”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “strongly denounced” the attack and expressed grief and sorrow over the policeman’s martyrdom, Radio Pakistan reported.
He directed for the “best possible medical treatment” to be provided to the injured.
The premier further said that the policemen “thwarted the evil intentions of the terrorists by stopping the suspects and risking their lives”, the report said.
Stating that the personnel of law enforcement agencies risk their lives to ensure public safety, he paid tribute to the “valiant personnel”, Radio Pakistan said.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also condemned the incident and vowed to “root out terrorism”.
“The sacrifices of our soldiers are making history,” he said, adding that the “cowardly attacks of terrorists cannot lower our morale”.
The minister further vowed to “not rest unless the last hideout of the terrorists is finished off”.
Last night, two policemen were martyred while as many were injured in an attack on a police check post in Peshawar’s Regi Model Town area.
A day ago, a police constable was martyred in Dera Ismail Khan’s Kulachi tehsil when unknown gunmen sprayed him with bullets.
On Tuesday, six Frontier Corps men were injured when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a vehicle carrying the paramilitary personnel in Peshawar’s Hayatabad.
