BANNU, March 31: Two people died and seven others were wounded, among them an election candidate, in a bomb attack on a motorcade in the Janikhel area of Bannu on Sunday, police said.
Adnan Wazir, a former member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly who is running as an independent candidate in the May 11 elections from the PK-72 constituency, was proceeding to the Wali Noor area along with supporters to address a rally when a remote-controlled explosive device ripped through his convoy comprising dozens of vehicles.
Malik Mumtaz and Maqbool, the two elders, were killed on the spot.
Mr Wazir and six others were injured in the attack that took place in Momiton Khel locality. Mr Wazir was taken to the Combined Military Hospital where his condition was reported stable.
The other injured, including a police constable, were taken to the district headquarters hospital.
Mr Wazir won the 2008 general elections as an independent candidate but later he joined the Awami National Party (ANP).
The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Calling from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told journalists that Mr Wazir was attacked because he was part of the ANP government for five years.
AFP adds: The TTP threatened more attacks against the ANP.
“We are against ANP. We have directed our associates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to target ANP election rallies and all its leaders,” Ehsan said.
The TTP has previously made death threats against politicians from the ANP, which ruled the province from 2008 until the assembly was dissolved recently.
