LAKKI MARWAT — A roadside bomb tore through a passenger van in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district early Tuesday, killing nine people. Police confirmed the victims included four children and two women, marking a brutal escalation in the region’s security crisis.
The explosion occurred in the Mela Mandrakhel area. The van was traveling from a local village toward the main town when the device, planted on the roadside, was detonated remotely. The impact flipped the vehicle, leaving little chance for those inside.
“It was a targeted strike on civilians,” a local police official said, requesting anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. “The device was powerful enough to destroy the vehicle entirely.”
Rescue workers pulled bodies and injured passengers from the wreckage under heavy security. Local hospitals declared an emergency, struggling to manage the influx of casualties. At least four others remain in critical condition, with doctors warning the death toll could rise.
Security forces cordoned off the area immediately, launching a search operation to track the perpetrators. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though the district has seen a steady uptick in militant activity over the past year.
Lakki Marwat sits on the edge of the former tribal belt, a region where militant outfits have increasingly targeted both security convoys and local civilians. Tuesday’s attack follows a string of smaller, localized incidents that have left the local population on edge.
The provincial government condemned the violence, promising a full investigation. But for families in Mela Mandrakhel, the response offers little comfort. As investigators sift through the debris, the residents are left to bury their dead—and wonder who will be targeted next.
