South Waziristan [Pakistan], April 29 (ANI): At least seven people were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a blast struck a peace committee office in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's South Waziristan tribal district on Monday, police and health officials said.

The explosion, which targeted a meeting inside the peace committee premises, has once again highlighted the deteriorating security situation in the province, Dawn reported.

While no group has yet claimed responsibility, tensions in KP have been rising steadily, especially after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) withdrew from its ceasefire agreement with the government in November 2022, pledging to escalate attacks on security forces and their affiliates. Monday's attack in South Waziristan adds to a growing list of violent incidents in the region that have put both officials and civilians on high alert.

Wana City police Station House Officer (SHO) Usman Nazir confirmed to Dawn.com that the explosion occurred around 11 a.m., killing seven individuals and injuring 16 others, five of whom are in critical condition. Nazir stated that the peace committee office was specifically targeted during an ongoing meeting.

He also mentioned that peace committee member Saifur Rehman sustained injuries but was reported to be in stable condition, reported Dawn.

KP Health Adviser Ehtesham Ali condemned the attack in a public statement, confirming that seven bodies had been transferred to the hospital and that around 15 injured victims were being treated. Emergency protocols were activated at the hospital, with staff leaves suspended to handle the influx of casualties.

Meanwhile, the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Wana verified the toll, reporting that a total of nine injured persons had been admitted following the blast.

Photos shared on social media showed thick black smoke billowing from the blast site, painting a grim picture of the aftermath. Senator Sherry Rehman also issued a strong condemnation on X, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of six lives and denouncing the attack as a 'cowardly act.' She emphasised that the resilience of security forces and the public would not be broken by terrorist violence, Dawn reported.

Peace committees, such as the one targeted, have been operational in South Waziristan since 2007. Historically, leaders like Mullah Nazir played key roles in driving out foreign militants, before Nazir himself was killed along with his associates in a US drone strike in 2013. (ANI)