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At least seven people were killed and several others injured in twin roadside explosions in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, according to police.
The attacks took place in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders the volatile North Waziristan tribal region near Afghanistan.
A roadside improvised explosive device (IED) first targeted a passenger vehicle carrying civilians, killing five people and injuring three others, district police chief Yasir Afridi told reporters.
“A private pickup truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote-controlled IED,” Afridi said.
The second explosion occurred shortly afterward as local residents and emergency responders were transporting the dead and wounded to the hospital.
“At least two people were killed in the second explosion,” Afridi said, adding that three others were wounded.
Police said both bombs had been planted along the roadside.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The region has long been a hotspot for militant activity, with the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other armed groups active in the area.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
He said the government remained committed to eliminating terrorism and bringing those responsible to justice.
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Pakistan has repeatedly accused neighboring Afghanistan of allowing militant groups to use its territory as a haven for attacks inside Pakistan.
The Taliban-led government in Kabul has consistently denied the allegations.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months, with cross-border tensions escalating into deadly clashes and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
Pakistani strikes near the border earlier this month reportedly killed at least 12 people.
The border between the two countries has remained largely closed since a surge in violence in October, disrupting trade and travel between the neighbors.
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