Pakistan blast kills 9, wounds more than 2 dozen
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- A bomb planted in a rickshaw exploded in a bazaar in Lakki Marwat, northwest Pakistan, killing at least nine people, including two traffic police officers and a woman, and injuring over two dozen others.
- The attack targeted traffic police officers and damaged nearby shops; most casualties were passersby, but no group has claimed responsibility.
- The Pakistani Taliban, often suspected in such attacks, denied involvement, while Pakistan blamed Afghanistan-based militants for a related recent attack that killed 15 police officers in Bannu district.
- Afghan Taliban officials rejected Pakistan’s accusations that militants use Afghan territory for attacks, emphasizing a commitment to regional stability and cooperation.
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, vowed to eliminate terrorism, and ordered a swift investigation to bring perpetrators to justice amid ongoing tensions and violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.