Two roadside bombs kill at least seven in northwestern Pakistan

Summary

Two roadside bomb blasts in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least seven people. The first explosion on Saturday hit a vehicle, and the second was detonated as rescuers responded, police said. “A private pick-up truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote-controlled IED,” said Yasir Afridi, a police officer in Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, using a common acronym for a homemade bomb. “The injured were being transported to hospital in a car for emergency treatment when a second IED exploded,” he said, adding that three people were wounded. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said the government would bring those responsible to justice. There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast, but the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, and other armed groups operate in the area. Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan for a surge in attacks near the border, although the Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied Pakistani accusations that Afghan territory is used as a sanctuary for armed groups. Frosty relations have escalated into clashes in recent months, including Pakistani air strikes on Afghan cities. Pakistani air strikes near the border this month killed at least 26 Taliban fighters, the Pakistani government said, while the Afghan government said 12 civilians were killed. The border has remained largely closed since violence escalated in October, freezing bilateral trade and disrupting the movement of people and goods.