Pakistan: Three killed, four injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IED blast

May 18, 2026

Islamabad:  At least three people, including prominent tribal elder and Ahmadzai Wazir tribe chief Malik Tariq Wazir, were killed and four others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Rustam Bazaar area of Wana in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, according to officials and local media reports.

District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Tahir Shah Wazir said that the explosion took place near Gulshan Plaza when a vehicle carrying Tariq was passing through the market.

According to officials, three people were killed and four others were injured in the blast, Pakistan’s daily Dawn reported. The DPO said unidentified assailants had allegedly planted explosive material near Gulshan Plaza during the night, which exploded in the morning.

Following the incident, police personnel cordoned off the area and began a search operation to find the perpetrators behind the attack. Residents and rescue workers took the bodies of the deceased and injured people to the hospital for treatment and legal formalities, Dawn reported.

On May 16, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the sharp deterioration in security in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where residents were increasingly caught between enforced disappearances, targetted killings and militant attacks.