At least two killed, 17 injured in blast near Bannu police station

At least two people, including a child, were killed and 17 others injured in a motorcycle bomb blast near the Miryan police station in Bannu on Monday, Bannu police said in a statement.

According to the police, a heavy contingent arrived at the scene immediately following the incident. The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital for medical treatment.

Initial reports indicated that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a motorcycle, Aaj News reported.

The police have launched an investigation at the site and have cordoned off the area, with security measures significantly tightened. A bomb disposal squad has also arrived.

Authorities stated that the exact nature of the blast and the motives behind it will be determined following the investigation.

Pakistan saw a significant surge in terrorist attacks in 2025, with the number of attacks rising by 34 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the Pakistan Security Report 2025 released by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the country witnessed 699 terrorist attacks, resulting in at least 1,034 deaths and 1,366 injuries.

READ MORE: Afghan border closure brings down terrorist violence by almost 17%: report

It said that terrorism-related fatalities increased by 21 percent, highlighting a continuing upward trend in militancy since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Of the 699 terrorist attacks, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed 413 attacks, Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed 254 attacks, Sindh province recorded 21 attacks, Punjab witnessed 11, and three attacks were carried out in Gilgit-Baltistan in the previous year, according to the report.

Meanwhile, a significant drop in cross-border terrorist attacks and violence-linked fatalities has been recorded in Pakistan since it closed down the border with Afghanistan, a Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) annual security report revealed.

“Terrorist attacks went down by almost 17% in December, preceded by 9% decline in November. Terrorist violence-linked fatalities among civilians and security officials also fell in the last quarter of 2025, by nearly 4% and 19% each in November and December, respectively, as per the data collected by the CRSS.

The Pak-Afghan border was shut down for all kinds of trade and other activities on October 11, following the cross-border attacks by terrorists and Afghan forces which resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. The border closure also brought trade activities and pedestrian movement to a standstill. Islamabad says closures curb militant movement; Kabul denies providing safe haven to the militants.