No loss of life in explosion of ‘unknown’ nature in KP’s Malakand: official
No loss of life was reported on Tuesday after an explosion occurred on a road near a Levies checkpoint in the Batkhela city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand division, officials said.
Malakand Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Muhibullah said an explosion occurred but confirmed there was “no loss of life”.
“According to the preliminary investigation, no explosives of any kind were used in the explosion,” he clarified.
ADC Muhibullah added, “The explosion was not dangerous and there was no fear or threat in the area.”
According to officials, a probe is underway to determine if the explosion occurred because of an improvised explosive device (IED), due to gas leakage or some other reason.
The explosion comes amid a deteriorating security situation in the province, with security officials often being targeted. Attacks particularly escalated after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in November 2022.
Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March 2025, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) last week.
Per the report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remained the most affected provinces, with at least 206 people being killed in KP, including 49 security personnel, 34 civilians, and 123 militants. Meanwhile, 115 injuries were reported, among them 63 security personnel and 49 civilians.
Within the province, mainland KP recorded 124 fatalities, 32 civilians, 30 security personnel, and 62 militants, while 65 people were injured. The tribal districts, formerly Fata, saw 82 deaths, including 19 security personnel, two civilians, and 61 militants. A noticeable intensification of security operations was recorded, with 123 militants killed in KP during the month.