At least nine people are dead after a bomb rigged to a rickshaw detonated at a crowded bazaar in northwest Pakistan Tuesday, marking the latest in a wave of escalating violence near the Afghan border.
The attack hit Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police Chief Azmat Ullah said the victims included two traffic police officers and a woman, though most of the dead and wounded were bystanders. The blast also damaged nearby shops.
No group has claimed responsibility. Suspicion often falls on the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has intensified its campaign against security forces. The group issued a statement denying involvement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, vowing that authorities would find and prosecute those responsible. He said the government remains committed to eliminating terrorism.
The bombing comes amid heightened tensions with Afghanistan. Islamabad has long accused Kabul's Taliban government of harboring militants, a charge Afghanistan denies. Militant violence in Pakistan has surged since the Afghan Taliban retook power in 2021.