A bomb explosion disrupted a cricket match in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Saturday, killing at least one person, police confirmed.
The device went off at Kausar Cricket Ground in Khar tehsil. District Police Officer Waqas Rafique said the blast was triggered through an improvised explosive device (IED) and appeared to be a targeted strike.
Growing Security Concerns in Bajaur
This attack comes just a week after militants used a quadcopter to target a police station in the district’s Lowi Mamund area. That assault left a police constable, Mohammad Habib, and a civilian, Najeeb Khan, injured, while also damaging a vehicle inside the compound.
According to district police spokesperson Israr Khan, the wounded were rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Khar. He added that militants attempted a second drone strike on the same police station, but the device failed to hit its mark.
Pattern of Attacks
Although no group has claimed responsibility for either incident, police officials suspect militant networks operating in the area. Security forces recently launched Operation Sarbakaf, a crackdown on terrorist groups in the tribal belt, which authorities believe may have triggered retaliatory strikes.
Bajaur, one of the former tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, has witnessed a resurgence of militant activity in recent months. Targeted attacks on law enforcement and public spaces raise concerns that insurgents are adapting new methods—including drones—while still relying on traditional IEDs to sow fear.
