At least seven killed, three injured in twin blasts in Bannu

• Five van passengers martyred in first explosion
• Second blast leaves two people doing rescue work dead.
• Victims shifted to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital.

BANNU: At least seven people were martyred and three others injured in two explosions in the Merka Bera area of Bannu, on Saturday, District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi said.

The first blast occurred when explosives planted along a roadside detonated, hitting a passenger van travelling from Hathi Khel village to Bannu. Five passengers in the van were martyred in the explosion, the DPO said.

A second explosion occurred shortly afterwards at the same location. Two individuals involved in rescue efforts were martyred in the second blast, while a vehicle was also damaged. Three people sustained injuries in the attacks.

The bodies of the deceased and the injured were shifted to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital for medical treatment and legal formalities.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, while further details are being gathered.

The attack comes months after a suicide bombing in Bannu in April that martyred at least five people, including three women and a child, and injured four others. On April 3, a suicide bomber attempted to target civilians gathered outside a police station in the district.

Secuirty forces intensified counter-terrorism efforts in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

At least 48 terrorists belonging to India-proxy Fitna al-Khawarij were killed in North Waziristan alone in June. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, a total of 48 khawarij have been killed in the highly skilful and precise operations in the first two weeks of June.

Pakistan witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in its KP and Balochistan provinces, since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came into power.

Pakistan launched “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq”, killing scores of Afghan Taliban operatives and allied militants and injuring hundreds more.

In October 2025, border clashes erupted after the Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistani border posts.

Despite several rounds of talks, both countries have been unable to reach an agreement, largely due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits.