At least nine people were confirmed dead and several more injured following a powerful explosion that rocked Wana area of South Waziristan on Monday, striking near an office of a local peace committee and targeting its office. Authorities suspect this attack as being carried out deliberately to destabilize ongoing efforts at peacemaking within this volatile tribal region.
The blast occurred in late afternoon near the office of Wana Peace Committee, a civilian group which collaborates with security forces to maintain law and order in its region. Initial investigations suggest an explosive device may have been planted on a motorcycle parked nearby; consequently, its explosion created widespread panic among nearby residents by shattering windows and damaging several buildings and vehicles in its path.
District officials confirmed that nine people died as a result of the blast, including two members of the peace committee and several bystanders. Dozens more sustained injuries – some critical – with emergency services being overwhelmed due to such large scale casualties at Wana District Headquarters Hospital.
No group has claimed responsibility yet, but officials believe it bears all the hallmarks of a terrorist act aimed at undermining local peace initiatives. South Waziristan, located on Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, has long been an area rife with militant activity; although security operations have reduced insurgent influence recently, occasional attacks against security forces, tribal elders and peace committees continue to threaten stability.
Akhtar Hayat Khan, Inspector General of Police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated during a press briefing that security forces have cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation in an effort to identify those responsible. “We will pursue all leads and bring perpetrators to justice,” he declared, while additional forces have also been deployed in order to prevent future incidents.
Local residents expressed anger and fear following the attack, demanding the government provide adequate protection to those working toward peace in volatile areas. “These people are trying to make our region safe. They aren’t enemies,” stated Malik Rahim Gul, a tribal elder. “Yet they keep getting targeted again.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province issued a strong condemnation of the attack and announced compensation for those affected. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement from Islamabad condemning it as a cowardly act of terrorism and promising that peace efforts would continue uninterrupted in South Waziristan.
Security in other tribal districts has been increased since the blast, as authorities remain wary of possible aftershocks in their fight against extremism.