At least three injured in blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

PESHAWAR: At least three persons were wounded on Friday after an explosive planted in a motorcycle near the central market in the Drazanda area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan went off, a media report said.

Confirming the number of injuries, a spokesperson for the Dera Ismail Khan district police said the injured persons have been moved to the district headquarters hospital where the condition of one is stated to be critical, Dawn reported.

“Four shops and three motorcycles in the locality have been damaged badly,” the spokesperson said, adding that a large contingent of police reached the scene soon after the blast was reported, the report said.

He added that the area has been cordoned off and an investigation is underway.

Immediately after the incident, the KP government ordered a day-long closure of the district’s Gomal University, Dawn reported.

“In pursuance of the directives of the Higher Education Department, the Gomal University will remain closed on Friday,” a notification issued by the institution said.

It added that the Gensam College will also remain shut both on Friday and Saturday. The notification did not provide a reason for the closure, Dawn reported.

In recent years, KP has witnessed a sharp spike in attacks throughout the province, particularly in its southern region, comprising the districts Tank, DI Khan, Kohat, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Bannu, Karak and Lakki Marwat, Dawn reported.

Earlier this month, 10 policemen were killed while six others were injured in a late-night attack on the Chodwan police station in Dera Ismail Khan.