Dera Ismail Khan Blast Kills 12, Injures 35; TTP Claims Responsibility
Police, security forces and Counter-Terrorism Department teams reached the site after the explosion and cordoned off the area.
At least 12 people were killed and 35 others injured when an explosives-laden vehicle struck a joint checkpoint near Aman Mela in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday.
Regional Police Officer Ghulam Mubashir Maken said the blast occurred at a checkpoint established for anti-smuggling operations. He said the deceased included one Customs official and civilians, while no Pakistan Army or police personnel were among those killed.
The dead included nine men, two women and a child, according to the police official. Twenty-five of the injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan for treatment.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to reports. The blast was described by officials as a suicide attack involving an explosives-laden vehicle that was rammed into the checkpoint.
The incident took place on the Dera Ismail Khan-Quetta Road near the border between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Rescue Operations Underway
Police, security forces and Counter-Terrorism Department teams reached the site after the explosion and cordoned off the area.
Officials said a search and clearance operation was launched, while evidence was collected from the scene to determine the exact circumstances of the attack.
Rescue 1122 teams from Darazinda, along with additional personnel and ambulances from Karak, Hangu and Dera Ismail Khan, took part in the rescue operation.
According to Rescue 1122, six ambulances, a firefighting vehicle and more than 25 personnel were deployed at the site. Injured people were provided medical assistance and transported to hospitals.
Rescue Workers Killed in Ambulance Attack
A second incident occurred when a Rescue 1122 ambulance came under fire while transporting bodies from the blast site.
Two Rescue 1122 workers were killed and another was seriously injured in the firing, according to rescue officials.
The deceased rescue workers were identified as Sharifullah and Imtiaz, while Anees sustained injuries.
Despite the attack on the ambulance, rescue teams continued transporting the deceased and assisting those affected by the blast.
Conflicting Casualty Figures Reported
Pakistan Customs separately said 15 personnel of Customs, Excise and Police were killed in the attack on the Aman Mela checkpoint.
The department said the attack involved an explosives-laden vehicle and that a second attack occurred while rescue teams were conducting relief operations.
The casualty figures reported by different authorities have therefore varied. Police gave the initial toll from the main blast as 12 dead and 35 injured, while Rescue 1122 earlier reported 11 deaths and more than 30 injuries. Two additional Rescue 1122 workers were later reported killed in the separate ambulance firing.
Officials Condemn Attack
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the blast and expressed grief over the loss of lives. He directed authorities to provide the injured with the best possible medical treatment and called for more effective counterterrorism operations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of those killed. He said the government remained committed to combating terrorism.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned both the blast and the firing on the Rescue 1122 ambulance. He expressed condolences over the death of the rescue worker and said such attacks would not weaken the country’s resolve against terrorism.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report from senior officials and directed authorities to ensure medical facilities for the injured.
KP Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi also condemned the attack and said the province had continued to suffer casualties among security personnel and civilians.
Afridi said his government had previously raised concerns about what he described as a policy of resettling terrorists and called for a change in counterterrorism policy. His remarks reflected the provincial government’s position on the security situation in the province.
KP Information Minister Shafi Jan expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said the provincial government would take measures to protect lives and property.
Former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah condemned the blast and expressed solidarity with the families of civilians and government personnel killed in the attack.
Recent Rise in Violence in KP
The attack comes amid a series of deadly security incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier this month, 23 people, including 15 police personnel, were killed in an attack at the Police Lines in Kohat. Eight attackers were subsequently killed during a clearance operation.
Pakistan later carried out what officials described as calibrated air strikes against militant positions near the Afghan border and conducted intelligence-based ground operations following the attacks.
Security authorities have also reported the interception of drones entering Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan.
The latest Dera Ismail Khan attack has prompted renewed security and rescue operations in the area, while investigations into the blast and subsequent firing remain underway.
