A prominent religious scholar was killed in a bomb blast on Monday in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.
Mufti Jan Mir sustained critical injuries in the blast that ripped through the busy Wana Bazaar area in South Waziristan district, a police official said. Mir was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment, he said.
Police rushed to the scene immediately after the explosion, cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.
The blast spread panic among traders and residents of Wana Bazaar, prompting demand for the permanent deployment of police personnel in the market to improve security.
Police said preliminary investigations suggest that a hand grenade may have been used in the explosion, though the exact nature of the blast is yet to be officially confirmed.
