Roadside explosion kills 5 in northwestern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD

At least five people were killed and 11 others injured on Wednesday after a government vehicle was attacked in a roadside bombing in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an official said.

The official vehicle of Assistant Commissioner Faisal Ismail was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) near the Nawagai area of the Bajaur tribal district, district police chief Waqas Rafiq told reporters.

He added that Ismail, along with another official and two policemen, was killed on the spot.

Terror attacks in Bajaur, one of the seven tribal districts—formerly called tribal agencies—bordering Afghanistan, have increased in recent months.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but mostly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed previous attacks in this area.

Pakistan's President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, condemned the attack, reiterating the government's resolve to root out terrorism.

They offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Slight decline in terrorist attacks in June

The latest bombing comes amid a slight overall decline in militant violence across the South Asian country in June, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank.

A total of 78 militant attacks and counterterrorism operations occurred across the country in June, resulting in 175 deaths, including 55 security personnel, 77 militants, 41 civilians, and two tribal peace committee members.

Militant attacks also left 189 people injured, including 126 security personnel and 63 civilians.

This marks an 8% decrease in attacks, a 12% drop in fatalities, and a 4% increase in injuries compared to May 2025.

Over the first half of 2025, Pakistan experienced a worrying uptick in violence, documenting 502 militant attacks, which claimed 737 lives—including 284 security personnel, 267 civilians, 180 militants, and six peace committee members.