...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and causing injuries to 25.
The blast that took place near Peshawar's Sunehri Masjid targeted a Civil Secretariat bus which was carrying
Fear and panic spread among residents in the wake of the kaboom and the area was cordoned off with the injured being shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital, where an emergency has been declared.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantonment Muhammad Kashif said the bomb was planted in the rear portion of the bus.
"Fifteen people were killed and 25 others were severely injured," added the police officer.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mubarak Zeb said the bus left for Peshawar from Malakand, picking up
Malakand is closely linked to Bajaur Agency, aka Turban Central
...Smallest of the agencies in FATA. The Agency administration is located in Khar. Bajaur is inhabited almost exclusively by Tarkani Pashtuns, which are divided into multiple bickering subtribes. Its 52 km border border with Afghanistan's Kunar Province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistain's strategic depth...and
Mohmand Agency... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar...
, which are sensitive areas, he said.
Bomb Disposal Unit personnel claimed that high-grade explosives weighing eight kilograms was used in the attack.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
(KP) Information Adviser Mushtaq Ghani told DawnNews Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak condemned the blast and issued directives to provide proper medical care to the maimed.
He said the employees were travelling in a privately-operated bus and that the government cannot ensure security of private vehicles. It was the responsibility of the contractor, Ghani said, adding that usually checks are carried out before the bus leaves its station.
This is not the first time that a civil secretariat bus has been targeted in Peshawar. Similar attacks in 2012 and 2013 killed at least 38 people.
Peshawar has seen scores of attacks on civilians as well as law enforcement personnel in the past. The city is also the home to the XI Corps, an administrative corp of the Pakistain Army which manages all military activity in KP and is currently engaged in a full-blown operation in North Wazoo.