PESHAWAR: A powerful car bomb accidentally detonated at the house of a Pakistani Taliban militant in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least two children and five suspected militants, police said.
The explosion took place before dawn in the city of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a man identified a local commander of the militants, Rasool Jan, was fitting a bomb in a car at his house, police official Irfan Khan said.
He said other militants from the Pakistani Taliban group quickly arrived at the scene and removed the bodies of the insurgents who died. Authorities later found the bodies of two children in the rubble of the house, which collapsed in the explosion.
The blast also badly damaged several nearby homes and wounded 14 people, including women. Some of the injured were in critical condition in a hospital, Khan said, but he did not provide details.
The Pakistani Taliban and other insurgents in the region often target security forces with assault rifles, rockets, grenades and suicide car bombings, and Khan said it appeared the car bomb was being prepared for such an attack.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are separate from the Afghan Taliban but have been emboldened by the group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Also Thursday, security forces raided a hideout of insurgents in Harnai, a district in restive southwestern Balochistan province, triggering an intense shootout in which a soldier and three insurgents were killed. During the operation, an army major was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, the military said in a statement.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to whom they called the “martyred soldiers” in separate statements. They said the fight against terrorism will continue until the elimination of all insurgents.
Seven killed in Pakistan’s northwest as militant’s car bomb explodes accidentally
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Seven killed in Pakistan’s northwest as militant’s car bomb explodes accidentally
- The explosion took place in Mir Ali where a militant was fitting a bomb in a car at his residence
- Blast damaged several nearby homes and wounded 14 people, with some in critical condition
Saudi, Pakistani officials discuss avenues for enhanced strategic cooperation
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia share a long-standing strategic partnership in political, security and economic domains
- Last year, both nations signed a landmark defense pact formalizing military ties into binding security commitment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Saudi officials have held discussions on avenues for enhanced strategic cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Friday.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share a long-standing strategic partnership in political, security and economic domains, underpinned by deep religious and cultural ties. The two countries maintain high-level engagements and consultations on regional and global developments, often aligning on issues related to peace, stability and the Muslim world.
In September last year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark defense pact, under which aggression against one country will be treated as an attack against both. The pact signaled a push by both governments to formalize long-standing military ties into a binding security commitment.
On Friday, Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki met with Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadik Malik in Islamabad, according to a PID statement.
“During the meeting, both sides held comprehensive discussions on avenues for enhanced mutual and strategic cooperation,” the statement said.
Malik highlighted Pakistan’s priorities in climate resilience and sustainable development, and emphasized the importance of international partnerships in addressing global environmental challenges, according to the PID. He appreciated Saudi Arabia’s continued support and engagement with Pakistan across multiple sectors.
“The Saudi ambassador reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation,” it said. “Both sides reiterated the deep-rooted, brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and expressed confidence that the longstanding partnership would continue to grow.”
