News Desk |
At least 25 people have been killed and several injured in an explosion in Kalaya Bazar area of lower Orakzai agency of Hangu district.
According to security forces, the blast occurred in a marketplace near an imambargah (religious seminary).
The law enforcement agencies have reached the site, cordoned off the area, an investigation into the incident is underway. The exact nature of the explosion is yet to be determined.
The injured, that are believed to be around 35, have been shifted to the KDA teaching hospital in Kohat.
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Pakistan has been battling Islamist groups in the tribal belt since 2004 and has carried out multiple bloody military operations in the area, officially known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Earlier this year Pakistan passed legislation which paves the way for the tribal areas to be merged into neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bringing them into the political mainstream.
This is a developing story and is being updated as the situation evolves.