At least seven people were martyred and three others injured in two consecutive explosions in the Barganto area within the jurisdiction of Ahmadzai Police Station in Bannu.
According to District Police Officer (DPO) Yasir Afridi, the first blast occurred near a Datsun vehicle carrying passengers. A second explosion took place shortly afterwards while rescue and emergency activities were underway at the scene.
The DPO said that seven people were martyred on the spot, while three others sustained injuries in the twin blasts.
The bodies of the deceased were shifted to the Rural Health Centre (RHC) Domel, while the injured were transferred to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital for medical treatment.
Local sources said that members of the Hathikhel tribe were travelling in the Datsun vehicle and were on their way to Bannu city when the incident occurred.
Following the explosions, security forces and law enforcement personnel reached the site and launched an investigation.
Earlier, Security forces foiled a suicide attack in Bannu after identifying and engaging a suicide bomber before he could reach his intended target.
According to senior security sources, intelligence and security agencies had received prior information about a suicide attack in the area and had heightened surveillance accordingly.
Sources said security personnel spotted the suspected attacker and opened fire, prompting the suicide bomber to panic. The terrorist detonated his explosive vest prematurely, resulting in an explosion that left four people with minor injuries.
The injured were provided medical assistance, while security forces immediately secured the area and launched a search operation to determine whether any accomplices were involved.
Authorities said the timely action by security personnel helped prevent what could have been a major terrorist attack. Further investigations into the incident are underway.
