Monitoring Desk: Fresh suicide attack in Lakki Marwat raises alarm over rising terror wave in KP as just 48 hours after the deadly suicide bombing on the Fateh Khel police checkpoint in Bannu, another suicide attack struck Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday, targeting the Sabzi Mandi (fruit and vegetable market) in Lakki Marwat and intensifying concerns over a renewed wave of terrorism in the province.
According to initial reports, at least nine people, including two traffic police personnel, were killed while 33 others sustained injuries in the explosion. Rescue teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
The latest attack comes days after terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Fateh Khel police checkpoint in Bannu district on May 10, martyring at least 15 police personnel and injuring three others. The back-to-back incidents have raised serious concerns regarding the deteriorating security situation in the southern districts of KP.
Security observers and local residents believe the attacks indicate the presence of an organized terror network operating across southern KP. Analysts point towards Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied terrorist groups operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
The attacks have also intensified criticism of the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has ruled KP. Critics argue that maintaining law and order is the constitutional responsibility of the provincial government under the Constitution of 1973 and prevailing legal framework. Political circles in Islamabad and Peshawar are discussing the provincial government’s response to the growing terror threat. Critics have also referred to a recent video circulating on social media in which KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was allegedly seen instructing a divisional commissioner to “accommodate” illegally residing Afghan nationals in the province, a move opponents claim reflects misplaced priorities amid worsening security conditions.
Following the Lakki Marwat attack, DND News Agency contacted journalists, traders, businessmen, and members of academia across KP to gather their views on the worsening security environment and possible responses.
A majority of respondents expressed deep frustration over the continuing violence and called for decisive action against militant infrastructure operating from Afghanistan. Several participants argued that previous cross-border operations targeted only suspected TTP training facilities while the Afghan Taliban leadership, which provides support and shelter to militant elements, remained untouched. They demand kinetic actions against Afghan Taliban leadership and believe that terrorism in Pakistan cannot stop controlled unless and until current Afghan Taliban leadership is in power and alive.
Many residents interviewed said public confidence in the provincial government’s ability to tackle terrorism has significantly declined, with increasing expectations now directed toward the federal government and security institutions for a comprehensive response.
Local traders and civil society representatives warned that repeated attacks are creating fear among ordinary citizens and damaging economic activity in southern KP. They stressed that the region’s people are paying a heavy price due to continued instability and insecurity.
Security experts believe the latest attacks demonstrate that terrorist groups retain operational capabilities in vulnerable districts of KP despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts. They also warn that suicide bombings targeting police and public places are aimed at undermining public confidence and creating instability in the province.
No group had officially claimed responsibility for the Lakki Marwat bombing at the time this report was filed. However, investigations are underway, and security has been tightened across sensitive districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
