Cleric killed in Wana bomb blast

A prominent religious scholar and former aide to Aman Lashkar commander Nazir was killed on Monday when a pressure cooker bomb exploded inside a supermarket in the busy Rustam Bazaar of Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan Lower district.

Mufti Jan Amir Masti Khel sustained severe injuries in the blast that occurred on the ground floor of the supermarket. He was immediately shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Wana, where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

DSP Wana Circle Asghar Ali Shah said that upon receiving information about the incident, he, along with SHO Wana City Usman Wazir and a heavy police contingent, reached the scene. Police cordoned off the area and collected evidence, while a forensic team recovered important material from the site.

According to the DSP, preliminary investigations indicate that the attackers had pre-planted the pressure cooker bomb in the supermarket and that Mufti Jan Amir was the apparent target. An initial report has been registered in the daily diary of Wana City police station.