A suicide bomber detonated an explosive at a checkpoint in western Pakistan on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring five more, according to local authorities.
News About Nigeria gathered that the explosion occurred in the town of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, when the attacker set off the bomb from the back of a motorbike rickshaw.
The blast killed four police officers, two paramilitary personnel, and two civilians.
Among the five wounded, three remain in critical condition and have been moved to a nearby military hospital, according to a police official who spoke anonymously.
A little-known militant group, “Aswad ul-Harb,” claimed responsibility for the attack.
This incident follows another assault on a checkpoint near the Afghan border earlier in the week, where ten police officers were killed in an attack by the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militancy since the Afghan Taliban regained control in 2021, with Islamabad accusing hostile groups of finding refuge in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Last year, Pakistan witnessed its deadliest year for suicide bombings since 2014, with 29 attacks resulting in 329 fatalities, as recorded by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
Meanwhile, Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was released from prison on Thursday, following her bail grant a day earlier in a case concerning the illegal sale of state gifts.
Bibi, who was arrested in January, was released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is still held.
Local television footage showed a small group of supporters celebrating her release by throwing rose petals at the two white SUVs that escorted her away from the prison.
Despite her release, Bibi faces at least one additional corruption case related to allegations of receiving land from a real estate developer.
In a show of solidarity, Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, welcomed her back on social media, pointing out the challenges she faced during her time in custody.
