Quadcopter explosion in Bannu injures eight, including women

BANNU: Eight people, including women, were injured in an explosion after a reported quadcopter crash near a residential area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Friday night, police said.

According to police, the drone entered the area from an unknown direction and exploded shortly after falling near houses, triggering panic among residents. People from the locality rushed to the site and moved the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital Bannu after providing initial first aid.

Hospital administration at the District Headquarters Hospital confirmed that all those hurt in the blast were being treated. Some of the injured were said to be in critical condition.

Security agencies launched an investigation immediately after the incident. Security officials said the matter was being examined from multiple angles to establish the nature of the blast, where the drone came from and what may have been behind the incident.

Residents of the area voiced concern over the explosion and called on the government and relevant authorities to hold an immediate inquiry, identify those responsible and ensure civilian protection.

Investigation under way

The incident added to concerns over security in Bannu, where both civilians and security personnel have faced repeated attacks in recent months amid a wider rise in militant violence.

Violence in the district has included attacks on police and jirga members. Those incidents have led police and security forces to carry out targeted operations in different areas aimed at disrupting militant networks.

The latest explosion also came a week after another suspected quadcopter-related incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Last Friday, officials said a suspected cross-border quadcopter strike from Afghanistan wounded two Pakistani personnel when a security post in Baizai tehsil of Mohmand district was targeted.

Authorities have not yet publicly shared further details about the Bannu blast beyond confirming that an inquiry is in progress.

Local residents expressed deep concern over the incident and urged the government and relevant authorities to conduct an immediate inquiry, identify those responsible, and ensure the protection of civilians.

Officials said the ongoing investigation would seek to determine key aspects of the incident, including the origin of the drone and the circumstances that led to the explosion near the residential locality.