Religious scholar killed after explosion at supermarket in South Waziristan's Wana

A religious scholar was killed in an explosion at a supermarket in Wana, South Waziristan, on Monday, according to police reports. The blast, believed to be caused by a pressure device, took place on the first floor of a store situated in Rustam Bazaar. Deputy Superintendent of Police Asghar Ali Shah stated that Mufti Jana Mir Masti Khel suffered severe injuries and was rushed to the Wana district headquarters hospital, where he later died.

Shah and Usman Wazir, the House Officer of Wana City Police Station, along with a large police presence, were dispatched to the scene immediately following the explosion. They cordoned off the area for forensic examination by investigators. The preliminary investigation indicated that the bomb was likely intended to specifically target the religious scholar.

Authorities have filed an initial complaint and are actively investigating to identify the perpetrators and ascertain the motive behind the attack. This incident occurred just three days after another cleric, Maulana Ismail, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen in Azam Warsak Bazaar, also in Lower South Waziristan. On July 28, a local cleric was killed and two others injured in a suspected quadcopter attack near a mosque in Landi Doag, Birmal tehsil.

In January, JUI-F leader Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir was critically injured and later died following a bomb explosion near a madressah in South Waziristan’s Wana Bazaar.