Two roadside blasts in northwest Pakistan kill seven: Police

Twin roadside blasts killed at least seven people in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Saturday.

“A private pickup truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote-controlled IED,” said Yasir Afridi, a police officer in Bannu district, using a common acronym for a homemade bomb.

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“... the injured were being transported to hospital in a car for emergency treatment when a second IED exploded,” he said, adding that three people were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, but the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups are active in the region.

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed his sorrow over the casualties.

He said the government “remained committed to eliminating terrorism” and “bringing those responsible to justice.”

Pakistan blames neighboring Afghanistan for a rise in attacks in the country and tensions between them remain high.

The Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan territory was being used as a safe haven for militants.

The frosty relationship between them has spiraled into deadly armed conflict in recent months, including Pakistani airstrikes on cities in Afghanistan.

Pakistani strikes killed at least 12 people in Afghanistan near their shared border this month.

The border has remained largely closed since a flare-up in violence in October, freezing bilateral trade.

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