Suicide blast targeting DI Khan checkpost claims 12 lives, injures 30

AI Summary

A suicide blast targeting the Aman Mela police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, killed 12 people including civilians and a customs official, and injured 30 others. Following the blast, an ambulance transporting bodies was attacked, killing two rescue workers and injuring another.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A dozen people lost their lives while 35 others were injured on Saturday when a vehicle laden with explosives was rammed into the Aman Mela police checkpost in Dera Ismail Khan’s Darazinda tehsil, officials said. Separately, two rescue workers were killed and another was injured when a Rescue 1122 ambulance came under fire while transporting bodies of victims from the blast. DI Khan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ghulam Mubashir Maken, citing an initial assessment, confirmed the casualties from the blast. He clarified that no law enforcement or security personnel were among the deceased, which included a Customs official and civilians. The deceased comprised nine men, two women and a minor. According to police and Rescue 1122 officials, an unidentified attacker rammed the explosives-laden tractor trolley into the checkpost. DI Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Ziauddin Ahmed confirmed that it was a suicide blast. The blast destroyed a large portion of the checkpost and completely demolished a house adjacent to the post. The intensity of the explosion was such that it was heard over a considerable distance, according to local officials and residents. Heavy firing was also heard following the blast. The Aman Mela checkpost, located near Mughal Kot and Darazinda on the DI Khan-Quetta Road, is used by police for security and checking along the route. It is situated close to the border between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to RPO Maken, 25 of the injured were taken to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Meanwhile, District Excise Officer Faheem Wazir said Excise personnel present at the checkpost remained safe. A bomb disposal team was also sent to the site to determine the nature of the explosion and examine the scene, police said. DPO Ahmed and the superintendent of police for the Saddar area had reached the site soon after the explosion and supervised the rescue operation. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson noted that their teams were on the site for relief operations, but mobile phone services were unavailable in the area. Later in the day, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the search, recovery and relief operation at the site had been completed. More than 25 personnel, six ambulances and a fire vehicle took part in the relief operations, according to the rescue service. On the directions of District Emergency Officer (DEO) Mohammad Arif Khan, four additional ambulances with staff were dispatched from DI Khan to assist in evacuating the injured. 2 killed as ambulance comes under fire Rescue 1122 said two of its workers were killed while another was seriously injured when an ambulance transporting some bodies recovered from the blast site was targeted by unidentified assailants near Aman Mela. The deceased rescue workers were identified as Sharifullah and Imtiaz, while Anees sustained injuries in the firing, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. The injured worker was provided immediate medical treatment and taken to a hospital. Despite the firing incident, rescue teams had continued the operation to transport the bodies and assist those affected by the blast. State broadcaster Radio Pakistan attributed the attack to Fitna al Khawarij, a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The report added that an operation by the security forces against the terrorists was underway. ‘Political priorities must reflect the pain of our people’ Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a video statement, condemned the attack and highlighted the funds allocated for police in KP’s budget. He also once again called for a “policy shift” on the federal government’s part regarding counterterrorism. Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report from senior officials on the incident and directed that every possible medical facility be provided to those injured. “The attack is a nefarious conspiracy by Fitna al-Hindustan Khawarij,” the governor said. The state refers to designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. In the wake of the blast, Kundi also requested the PTI to call off its march to Islamabad planned for Oct 4. Tagging CM Afridi’s X account, he wrote: “For the sake of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and our people, let us put political differences aside and stand together as one. “Our people are paying the price in blood. They deserve solidarity, security and leadership focused on protecting their lives.” In an earlier post on X, Kundi said, “At a time when KP is mourning, political priorities must reflect the pain of our people.” He asserted that the provincial government “must take responsibility and put the security and lives of our people at the centre of its priorities”. “They do not need test matches or long marches. They need peace.” Condemnations President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the blast in a statem