TODAY’S PAPER | January 24, 2026 | EPAPER

5 killed, 10 injured in suicide blast at aman committee member's house in DI Khan: Rescue 1122

Several members of peace committee were present at the house when the blast occurred; CM, governor order report


Shahid Hamid January 23, 2026 3 min read
A screenshot from just before a blast at the house of an aman committee member in DI Khan on Friday. — SCREENGRAB

At least five people have been killed and 10 injured in a suicide blast at the house of Noor Alam Mehsud, head of a local aman committee, near Qureshi Mor in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan during a wedding ceremony on Friday night, according to officials.

A statement from K-P Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said: "Rescue 1122 has moved the bodies of five people and 10 injured to the hospital. Rescue 1122's rescue operation is still ongoing."

He said the department's teams responded to reports of a suspected blast near Qureshi Mor, deploying seven ambulances, a fire vehicle and a disaster response vehicle to the site.

DI Khan District Police Officer Sahibzada Sajjad Ahmed said while talking to the media that the attack occurred during at a wedding at the house of an aman committee member.

He said the injured were being moved to the hospital for treatment while remains of the suicide bomber had been found.

DI Khan Regional Police Officer Syed Ashfaq Anwar said that several members of the peace committee were present when the blast occurred at Mehsud's house.

He said that the casualty toll could rise due to the number of guests attending the event.

K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly condemned the blast, describing the incident as deeply regrettable.

He sought a detailed report from the provincial police chief and directed that the injured be provided with the best possible medical care. He further instructed security agencies to carry out immediate investigations and identify those responsible for the attack.

Afridi expressed solidarity with the families of the victims, assuring that all possible support will be provided.

K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi requested a detailed report on the blast, according to a statement from his spokesperson, Dr Fazal Rahman.

The governor contacted senior officials to get updates on the incident and directed that all possible medical assistance be provided to the injured.

Expressing his grief over the loss of lives in the blast, Kundi emphasised the need for immediate relief and support for the victims and their families, the statement added.

This is not the first time Mehsud, head of the Mehsud Peace Committee in South Waziristan, has been targeted.

In 2022, two suicide bombers attempted to attack him at his DI Khan office. Both attackers were killed outside the office, and volunteers of the peace committee successfully foiled the attempt.

Last month, three police officers were killed in a bomb attack targeting a police vehicle in DI Khan.

The district saw one of the worst attacks in recent times in November last year, when six policemen, including trainees, were martyred, while 12 other policemen and one civilian were injured after a terrorist attack on the Police Training School.

DI Khan, strategically located at the junction of Balochistan, Punjab and K-P, has long been a focal point of militant violence.

Read: DI Khan records 111 terror attacks in five years, 71 police officers martyred

The district has witnessed a rise in attacks since 2020, with 111 reported incidents resulting in the deaths of 71 police officers and injuries to 100 others.

Between 2020 and 2025, DI Khan witnessed a fluctuating pattern of attacks. In 2020, six attacks killed four police officers and injured two. The following year, 13 attacks left three dead and four wounded.

Violence escalated in 2022, with 24 attacks killing 19 officers and injuring 27, and peaked in 2023 with 39 attacks claiming seven lives and wounding 27. Though attacks dropped to 17 in 2024, casualties remained high, and as of December 2025, 12 attacks have killed 15 officers and injured 16.

The Saraiki-speaking district of five tehsils borders Dera Ghazi Khan, Balochistan's Zhob district, and South Waziristan. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when terrorism spread across Pakistan, Dera Ismail Khan was among the hardest-hit areas.

Sectarian violence began here in 1987 and continues today. Since 2007, terrorist incidents have claimed numerous lives, including senior police officers.

Last year, Pakistan witnessed more than a 25% surge in overall violence, recording at least 3,187 violence-linked fatalities and 1,981 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and criminals, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies.

K-P was the worst-hit region, accounting for nearly 68% (2,165) of the country’s total violence-linked fatalities and over 62% (732) of all incidents of violence.

In K-P, security forces dominate the operational landscape. Fatalities during security operations (1,370) exceeded those from terrorist attacks (795) by 72%, highlighting that large-scale counter-terrorism campaigns are the main driver of casualties in the province.

------------------------

This is a developing story and is being updated.

 

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ