DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Law enforcers were among 12 martyred while 30 others were injured on Saturday when a vehicle laden with explosives was rammed into the Aman Mela police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan’s Darazinda tehsil, officials said.
DI Khan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ghulam Mubashir Maken told the media shortly after the incident that, according to initial assessment, the blast claimed the lives of 12 people, including personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), and injured 30.
According to police and Rescue 1122 officials, an unidentified attacker rammed the explosives-laden tractor trolley into the checkpost.
The blast destroyed a large portion of the checkpost and completely demolished a house adjacent to the post. The intensity of the explosion was such that it was heard over a considerable distance, according to local officials and residents. Heavy firing was also heard following the explosion.
The Aman Mela checkpost, located near Mughal Kot and Darazinda on the DI Khan-Quetta Road, is used by police for security and checking along the route. It is situated close to the border between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Police said bomb disposal teams had been dispatched to the site to determine the nature and cause of the explosion.
A Rescue 1122 spokesperson noted that their teams were on the site, but mobile phone services were unavailable in the area.
In an earlier statement, Rescue 1122 said the deceased included eight men, two women and a child, adding that rescue teams were continuing relief operations at the site and recovering victims from the debris.
Rescue 1122 said 18 of the injured were referred to medical facilities in Darazinda and Mufti Mahmood Hospital in DI Khan for further treatment.
More than 25 personnel, six ambulances and a fire vehicle took part in the relief operations, according to the rescue service. Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Muhammad Arif Khan had directed the deployment of four additional ambulances to assist in the rescue operation.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report from senior officials on the incident and directed that every possible medical facility be provided to those injured.
“The attack is a nefarious conspiracy by Fitna al-Hindustan Khawarij,” the governor said.
The state refers to designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan, and uses the term Fitna al Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a statement issued by his ministry, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the “suicide blast at the anti-smuggling Aman Mela police checkpost” and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
“The cowardly acts of kharjis cannot weaken the nation’s firm resolve against terrorism,” he was quoted as saying, using a term the state employs to designate terrorists.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on the front lines of the fight against terrorism.”
Naqvi noted that people from all walks of life have made sacrifices against terrorism, adding that the state deeply values the sacrifices of martyrs.
Rise in terrorism
KP has witnessed an increase in terrorist activity in recent months, with law enforcement agencies and security forces being targeted, prompting authorities to intensify counterterrorism operations.
Earlier this month, police said they foiled an attack by TTP terrorists on a checkpost in DI Khan’s Daraban area. No casualties were reported among the police personnel.
On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation.
In response to that and other terrorist incidents, Pakistan days later conducted “calibrated” airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying over 28 terrorists were eliminated.
Mainland KP, excluding the merged districts, recorded 54 terrorist attacks in August compared with 36 in July, representing an increase of 50 per cent, according to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
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.
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