A suicide bomber killed Haji Akhunzada, a stalwart of a banned religious group from the Bara region of Khyber Agency, along with two others when he detonated his explosives on Dalazak Road in the Pakha Ghulam area of Peshawar on Monday.
One of the victims was the son-in-law of Akhunzada. The suicide bomber blew himself up near a house that Akhunzada was building on Pakha Ghulam Road, killing three people on the spot and injuring seven others. The under-construction house was damaged along with nearby houses.
Siraj Ahmad, the top government official in Peshawar, said the bomber was dropped off by a motorcyclist, then walked to the house under construction and detonated his vest. Police authorities took the body parts of the bomber for forensic analysis and investigation. Officials said Akhunzada, a commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Ansar from Bara, was the target. Akhunzada had previously survived two attempts at his life.
Hailing from Bara, Akhunzada had moved to Peshawar along with his family after two attacks that had failed to kill him. Doctors and police officials confirmed he was among the three victims. Doctors also said the seven injured people had been admitted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, and several were stated to be in critical condition.
Lashkar-e-Ansar is a rival of Lashkar-e-Islam, which is headed by Mangal Bagh. Both groups have been fighting each other for the last six years, a feud that has claimed the lives of over a thousand people to date.
No claims of responsibility have come forward so far, but officials and tribesmen believe Lashkar-e-Islam was involved.