Bomb attack near MMA candidate's convoy in Bannu, four killed

BANNU: A bomb ripped through the convoy of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidate Akram Khan Durrani in a Bannu neighborhood this morning. He, however, escaped unhurt while four people were killed and 14 others injured in attack, ARY News reported.

Police said former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Durrani’s cavalcade was attacked in Haved neighborhood of the city. He remained safe while four people were killed and 14 others suffered serious wounds in the attack.

The deceased and injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Bannu. Several vehicles part of his squad were also damaged in terrorism incident.

Durrani was returning after attending a rally in connection with the election campaign when he was attacked.

An eye witness said a suicide bomber riding a motorbike blew himself up near the convoy of the former federal minister. However, officials contradicted this claim, saying the bomb was planted in a motorcycle parked near the road side.

Bannu RPO Akram Khan said it was a remote controlled blast.

Mr Durrani is contesting election on NA-35, Bannu, from the platform of the MMA, a recently revived alliance of the religio-political parties.

He will face off Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, who is up for five NA seats across the country this time, including the one in Bannu.

This is the second terrorist attack targeting an election candidate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Haroon Bilour and over a dozen others were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a corner meeting in Peshawar’s Yakatut area.

Bilour was contesting the upcoming general election from the PK-78 constituency of Peshawar.