At least one killed in blast at cricket stadium in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least one person was killed and several others injured in an explosion while a cricket match was being played in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said.

The blast occurred at Kausar Cricket Ground in Khar tehsil of Bajaur district. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafique confirmed that the blast was carried out through an improvised explosive device. “It appears to be a targeted attack,” he added.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. However, police officials blamed it on terrorists in light of Operation Sarbakaf launched by security forces last month.

Last Saturday, at least three militants and a police officer were killed in two separate incidents in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The three militants were killed during a police encounter in the jurisdiction of Lachi police station in Kohat district of the province, police said.

In another incident, a constable was killed when unidentified assailants ambushed a police van near the Darmalak police checkpost in Lachi tehsil.