A motorcycle bomb detonated near the Miryan police station in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on Monday, killing at least two people, including a child, and injuring seventeen others, according to Pakistani authorities.
Police reported the explosion occurred near shops located in front of the police station. Initial investigations suggest an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was the cause, though a precise timeline remains under investigation. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Rescue teams transported the victims to nearby hospitals. Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan confirmed the area was immediately cordoned off and a search operation launched, involving a heavy police contingent, the bomb disposal squad, a quick response force, and armored personnel carriers. Evidence collection is underway.
The Bomb Disposal Squad is currently clearing the site to prevent further potential threats, according to a police statement.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack, expressing sorrow over the deaths and labeling the perpetrators “enemies of humanity” who endanger the province’s peace. Opposition leader Ibadullah Khan as well denounced the attack, stating that hostile elements seek to disrupt the region’s stability and calling for national unity to confront them. He described the killing of civilians as “extremely regrettable.”
Bannu is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and serves as the capital of Bannu Division. The city’s population was estimated at 41,015 in 2023. Founded in 1848 as a military base by Lieutenant Herbert Edwardes, it was initially named Dalipnagar and later Edwardesabad before officially becoming Bannu in 1903. The area is primarily agricultural, with wheat, corn, and barley as key crops, supported by the Kurram-Garhi Project which provides irrigation and flood control.
As of late Monday, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
