At least three children were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Peshawar’s Warsak Road on Tuesday morning, officials said.
The police said three had been injured, while rescue officials put the number of injuries at five, including an adult and four children.
According to Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan, the incident took place near the Peshawar Public School at around 9:10am.
Police and rescue teams were sent to the site as soon as the blast was reported, he told media persons, adding that the injured children were moved to a private hospital.
The official said that an estimated four kilogrammes of explosives, planted in a “cemented block” on the side of the road, were used in the blast. The area has been cordoned off and further investigation is under way, Khan said.
“It would be premature to say who was the target,” the official added. Reuters also quoted Peshawar police chief Mohammad Ashfaq Anwar as saying that there was no indication school children were the target of the attack.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital told Dawn.com that six injured persons, including four children, were brought to the facility. He said the condition of two children was critical.
“All of them are aged between 11 and 23,” Asim Khan stated, adding that none of the children were wearing a school uniform.
Earlier, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said windows of a nearby building and windshields of two Suzuki vans were shattered due to the intensity of the blast.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Condemnations
In a statement issued later today, caretaker KP Chief Minister Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah condemned the incident and sought a report on the blast from the police high-ups.
He prayed for the speedy recovery of the wounded children and directed the hospital management to provide them with the best medical treatment.
Separately, Awami National Party (ANP) provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said terror activities near educational institutions and busy highways were concerning. He noted that today’s blast was the second such incident on Warsak Road in recent months.
“We repeat that KP cannot afford the fire of terrorism anymore,” Wali said, warning that the situation would worsen if the state does not take immediate action.
He demanded that the police should immediately arrest the culprits.
Uptick in terror activities
Today’s blast comes as Pakistan heads towards general elections expected to be held on February 8. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali had said last week that it was difficult to carry out political activities in the province due to the security situation.
“The provincial government and institutions are responsible for sitting together and preparing a strategy for the way forward,” he had said.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
Last month, five people were killed and over 20 sustained injuries in a blast targeting police in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan.
According to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the country experienced 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month.
It revealed that KP emerged as the most affected province, documenting 51 attacks, causing 54 fatalities and 81 injuries. Meanwhile, Balochistan recorded nine attacks, resulting in 18 fatalities, including that of 15 security forces personnel and three civilians.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
