Blast Destroys Bridge in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali, Cutting Off Villages

Overview

• Unknown assailants detonated explosives under the Khushhali (Makinah) bridge late at night, severing links to markets, hospitals and farmland.
• Security forces collected evidence and are determining the type of explosives used, according to police.
• Residents report no viable detours, with schoolchildren, patients, the elderly and women most affected and local commerce disrupted.
• Local leaders, including tribal elder Malik Deen Sardar and activist Jalal Khan, called for arrests, rapid rebuilding and stronger permanent security.
• The blast follows a similar bridge bombing over the Kurram River earlier in the week, as officials say search operations have been intensified and a temporary bypass is under consideration.