A child and an adult were killed while several others were injured in a suicide attack near a mosque in Lakki Marwat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to Rescue 1122.
A statement from the department said: “A suicide blast was reported near a mosque in Khairo Khel Pacca village. Following the blast, eight-year-old Asma Bibi and 25-year-old Asad Ali were martyred while several others were injured.”
Rescue teams immediately arrived at the scene and provided first aid to the injured as soon as the information was received, adding that the victims were quickly taken to the Tajazai district headquarters hospital for treatment.
A police official said Anadolu Speaking on condition of anonymity, preliminary details suggested the attacker attempted to enter the mosque during Friday prayers, but failed to get inside and detonated explosives outside.
Read: Eight terrorists killed in joint operation of CTD, police in KP’s Bannu
Lakki Marwat, one of KP’s southern districts, has seen a surge in militant violence in recent years, with police and security forces frequently targeted.
Last month, nine people, including two traffic police officers, were killed while 33 others were injured in a blast in Sarai Naurang tehsil of Lakki Marwat. Initial investigations into the incident suggest that explosive materials had been placed in a motorcycle, triggering the explosion.
In April, at least seven people, including three police officers, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast. The attack, which also took place in the Sarai Naurang area, reportedly targeted a police vehicle near a vegetable market.
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Meanwhile, at least seven policemen, including the in-charge of Shadi Khel police station, were killed in an IED blast near a mobile police station in Lakki Marwat. According to the KP police, the motive was targeted.
KP has seen a surge in terrorist attacks, accounting for the highest number of incidents out of a total of 5,397 reported last year. The province recorded 3,811 incidents, followed by Balochistan with 1,557 incidents. Only 29 incidents were reported in the rest of the country. A total of 2,597 terrorists were killed during the year, according to the military spokesperson.
