At least three people, including the chief of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, were killed and four others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Wana’s Rustam Bazaar area of Lower South Waziristan Monday.
According to District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Tahir Shah Wazir, the explosion occurred near Gulshan Plaza when a vehicle carrying the tribal chief, namely Malik Tariq Wazir, was passing through the busy market.
He said unidentified militants had planted explosive material at the location during the night, and detonated as the vehicle passed through the area in the morning.
Rescue teams and locals shifted the bodies and injured to the District Headquarters Hospital Wana where officials confirmed that two of the injured were in critical condition and receiving emergency treatment.
Following the blast, police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace those responsible. The explosion triggered panic in the market, forcing traders to close shops and temporarily suspend business activity.
Wazir was a well-known tribal figure in Lower South Waziristan and played a key role in local jirgas and dispute resolution efforts. He was also been abducted in December 2024 before being released following negotiations led by tribal elders.
While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, authorities said an investigation is ongoing.
It may be noted that the incident comes amid a recent rise in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Earlier this month, three children were killed and several others injured in separate attacks in South Waziristan.
In May, tribal elder Malik Saifullah Khan Dawar was shot dead in North Waziristan after reportedly confronting militants, while another tribal elder, Malik Fazal Wahid, was killed in Bajaur despite previously surviving multiple assassination attempts.
Officials say security operations in the region are continuing as authorities attempt to curb targeted killings and militant activity in the tribal belt.
