1 killed, 8 injured in roadside blast in northwest Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) – A convoy of paramilitary soldiers was targeted in a roadside bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing one security official and injuring eight others.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Arshad Khan confirmed that a vehicle of the Frontier Constabulary was hit in the attack on Machni Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

One security personnel was killed, while six others were injured, Khan said, adding that two civilians were also injured.

Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Syed Ashfar Anwar later visited the blast site. A statement said initial reports suggested the blast was carried out using an improvised explosive device (IED).

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of several militant outfits, claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda social media site.

KP, which borders Afghanistan, has been under a constant threat of militant attacks, with fresh clashes between the TTP and Pakistan security forces taking place in the remote northern district of Chitral on Sunday.

The Pakistan military said its forces killed seven militants during the operation, which came days after the TTP killed four soldiers in a cross-border attack from Afghanistan.

Pakistan has blamed the Afghan Taliban administration for allowing TTP militants to carry out frequent attacks from Afghanistan, where they were relocated following a military operation in Pakistan’s tribal districts of North and South Waziristan in 2014. However, the Afghan Taliban have consistently denied such claims.