Pakistan: 3 killed in Khyber bombing, death toll reaches 4

The death toll in a suicide bombing incident in Pakistan’s Khyber reached four after three more cops succumbed to their injuries, The News International reported on Thursday citing local police.

The suicide attack that took place in the tehsil compound — which houses the Bara Police Station, government offices, and a cell of the counter-terrorism Department (CTD) — also injured eight other policemen.

Initially, it was reported that one officer has been killed in the attack and several others have sustained injuries.

In this incident, a terrorist blew himself up on being intercepted by the police while entering the compound. KP Inspector General Akhtar Hayat confirmed the suicide attack was led by two terrorists who entered the compound from the main and rear gates. Both of the terrorists were killed in the attack, The News International reported.

Sharing updates on the incident, the police said that a section of the CTD's cell caved in after the explosion. Rescue and search operation was underway while the bomb disposal squad and CTD teams were present at the crime scene.

The rescue officials have said that the 10 injured policemen had been shifted to different hospitals for treatment.

Earlier on Wednesday night, the KP police suffered another attack when two cops were killed while as many sustained injuries in a firing incident in the Regi area of Peshawar.

The police said that unidentified armed men opened fire on the cops at the entry checkpoint near Regi Model Town Police Station and fled. The injured cops were shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the TTP responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in Pakistan have soared by 79 per cent during the first half of 2023, The News International reported citing a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).