UPDATES NUMBER OF INJURIES; ADDS DETAILS; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) - An explosion ripped through a marketplace in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, killing at least nine people and injuring 35 others, a local official told Anadolu.
The blast occurred in the town of Sarai Naurang, in Lakki Marwat district, Deputy Commissioner Hamidullah Khan said over the phone.
'Right now, I am at the hospital, (and) nine bodies had been brought here, so far. At least 35 injured people are also receiving treatment,' he added.
Among the dead were two police personnel, the official said, adding it is suspected that the explosive material was planted in a loader rickshaw.
Khan, who also visited the hospital to monitor the rescue operation, said that around 10 people who were injured are in critical condition and they were moved to Bannu district hospitals.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the blast, while rescue teams continued transferring the injured to nearby hospitals.
Pakistan's northwestern regions have witnessed a rise in militant attacks in recent years, particularly targeting security forces and civilians.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan of operating from safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan.
Kabul, however, has denied the allegations, saying the group has no presence on Afghan soil.