A tragic suicide attack near a mosque in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat district has resulted in the deaths of a child and an adult, with multiple others sustaining injuries, as confirmed by Rescue 1122.
Details of the Incident
According to an official statement from Rescue 1122, the explosion occurred close to a mosque in the Khairo Khel Pacca village. The deceased have been identified as eight-year-old Asma Bibi and 25-year-old Asad Ali. The rescue department reported that its teams reached the scene immediately after receiving the alert, providing first aid to the wounded before transporting them to District Headquarters Hospital Tajazai for further medical care.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Anadolu Agency, revealed that preliminary findings indicate the attacker attempted to enter the mosque during Friday prayers but failed to get inside and detonated the explosives outside instead.
Rising Militant Violence in Lakki Marwat
Lakki Marwat, a southern district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, has experienced a notable increase in militant attacks in recent years, with police and security forces frequently being targeted. Last month, nine people, including two traffic police personnel, lost their lives, and 33 others were injured in an explosion in the Sarai Naurang tehsil of the same district. Initial investigations suggested that explosive material was planted in a motorcycle, causing the blast.
In April, at least seven people, including three police officers, were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Sarai Naurang. The attack reportedly targeted a police vehicle near a vegetable market. Furthermore, seven police personnel, including the station house officer of Shadi Khel Police Station, were martyred in an IED explosion targeting a police mobile in Lakki Marwat, according to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police.
Provincial Surge in Terrorism
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents, accounting for the highest number of attacks among the total 5,397 reported nationwide last year. The province recorded 3,811 incidents, followed by Balochistan with 1,557. Only 29 incidents were reported from the rest of the country. The military spokesperson stated that a total of 2,597 terrorists were killed during the year.
