PESHAWAR: At least 29 people were killed and another 35 wounded in an explosion that rocked the Kalaya Bazaar area of lower Orakzai tribal district on Friday, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said.
It was the second attack to strike Pakistan, following an earlier attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi that left gunmen and police officers dead.
The Orakzai blast occurred during the morning rush hour at the weekly bazaar, the government’s spokesman Ajmal Wazir told Arab News.
“We are on high alert right now. We are assessing the entire situation but initial investigations show the bomb was fixed to a parked motorbike.”
Wazir said local security personnel and rescue teams rushed to the blast site and helped shift the victims to hospitals.
Farooq Jamil, KP health secretary, also told Arab News all the hospitals in the region were on high alert to deal with the emergency effectively.
“We have the toll of 29 dead and 35 wounded in the blast. Most of the critically injured persons are being shifted to Peshawar and Kohat. All the medical staff have been directed to be on duty.”
Umar Orakzai, a resident, said the carnage took place in the center of the weekly bazaar. It was set up every Friday and locals bought vegetables, cooking oil and other foodstuffs there.
“The blast was so powerful that it shook the entire locality and people were running in chaos and some were screaming for help,” he said.
Local journalist Salahuddin Orakzai said the explosion was so powerful that its intensity was felt in remote areas.
“Three children and three Sikh community members were among those who died on the spot. It was a huge blast and people were running pell-mell after the explosion,” he said.
Orakzai said it was a Shiite-dominated area but that people from all sects came to the bazaar.
He feared the death toll could rise because some of the wounded were in critical condition.
Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack in Orakzai and the foiled one in Karachi.
He said they were “a planned campaign to create unrest in the country by those who do not want Pakistan to prosper.”
Orakzai tribal region blast kills at least 29
Orakzai tribal region blast kills at least 29
Pakistan police say 27 cops killed in 134 attacks in restive Bannu district in 2025
- Bannu is a restive district in northwestern Pakistan where militants frequently attack law enforcers
- Police say at least 20 drone attacks by militants killed nine civilians, injured 19 cops during the year
PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan’s northwestern Bannu district said this week that at least 27 police personnel were killed in 134 attacks while 53 militants were killed during various security operations in the volatile area during the year, as Islamabad grapples with a surge in militancy.
Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province is one of Pakistan’s most dangerous districts, where militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) frequently target law enforcers in attacks.
Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that at least 134 “terrorist attacks” were recorded in Bannu district during 2025 that targeted police stations, posts, checkpoints, police mobiles and police parties.
“As a result of these attacks, 27 police personnel were martyred and 79 were injured,” a statement issued by Bannu Police said on Wednesday.
It said at least 168 intelligence-based operations were conducted by police across the district during the year, in which 105 militants were arrested and 65 were killed.
Khan informed media that militants carried out 20 drone attacks targeting police installations and civilian areas in 2025, killing nine civilians and injuring 19 police personnel.
“However, following the installation of an anti-drone system in Bannu district on Jul. 18, 2025, the situation improved significantly,” the statement said. “More than 300 drone attacks were thwarted, and four drones were struck/spoofed.”
He said the Bannu police force has been equipped with drones, anti-drone guns, sniper rifles, armored personnel carriers (APCs), thermal imaging systems, tactical helmets and bulletproof vehicles.
“Bannu police reiterates its resolve to continue its struggle to maintain law and order in the district, completely eliminate terrorism and protect the lives and property of the public,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan blames the Afghan government for facilitating TTP attacks inside its territory, a charge Kabul denies. The surge in militant attacks has strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading to deadly border clashes in October that saw dozens killed and several wounded on both sides.
