Death toll rises in Bajaur explosion

On Sunday, a huge explosion swept through a political gathering sponsored by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in Khar, a tehsil of Bajaur, killing at least 42 people and injuring over 150 others.

Hundreds of party employees and local leaders were present at the meeting when the blast occurred, according to eyewitnesses.

The explosive went off during a speech by a party leader to the convention. According to JUI-F authorities, among those killed were the party’s Khar General Secretary Ziaullah, JUI-F District Press Secretary Mujahid Khan, and his son.

They were concerned about an increase in the death toll.

The explosion happened around 4 p.m. near the Shandi neighbourhood, some 2 km from Khar, according to district administration and Rescue 1122 authorities.

Security officers suspected a “suicide attack,” with a top official alleging that the terrorist Islamic State (Islamic State in Khorasan, or IS-K) group was possibly involved. “There is no question about it,” the official stated.

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Until the filing of this report, no one had claimed responsibility. “There was no threat of a bombing in the district,” according to security sources.

It should be mentioned that previous reports revealed the presence of IS-K in the district. According to them, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) neutralised three IS-K militants in the tribal district in June.

According to security officials, helicopters were transporting the injured to the provincial capital.

At least ten badly injured people were airlifted to Peshawar, and another 12 were scheduled to be transferred to the province capital from Bajaur Scouts Hospital.

According to security officials, Inspector General (IG) Frontier Corps Maj Gen Noor Wali Khan was also present to ensure that the injured people received timely treatment.

According to Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwarul Haq, at least 15 injured people were evacuated to Peshawar, while another 16 were referred to different locations due to their critical condition.

According to Mahibullah Khan Yousafazi, assistant commissioner of Khar subdivision, the death toll could grow because some of the injured are in serious condition. According to him, at least 150 individuals were hurt in the blast.Following the event, scores of Rescue 1122 employees and locals raced to the scene and began transporting the dead and injured to the district headquarters hospital in Khar, where an emergency had been declared.

Senior administrative and police authorities, including the Bajaur deputy commissioner, inspected the treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Khar. They told reporters that an inquiry had been begun to determine the cause of the explosion and apprehend the perpetrators.

Emergency

In the provincial capital’s hospitals, an emergency has been proclaimed. The interim minister of information reported that 16 injured people had been transferred to the provincial capital.

According to Saad Khan, the head of Bajaur Rescue 1122, the rescue operation involved eight ambulances and hundreds of authorities.

Some of the injured were also transferred to a Timargarah hospital in Lower Dir, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122. He went on to say that seven ambulances were sent to Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport to transport the injured people who had been airlifted from Bajaur to hospitals in the provincial capital. He informed Dawn that seven injured people had been transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Peshawar.

While speaking to media late Sunday evening, JUI-F district Chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed condemned the blast. He encouraged the district administration and police to conduct an investigation into the incident in order to bring justice to the victims.