Peshawar’s fragile peace shattered once again as a suicide bombing targeted a security checkpoint in Punjab’s Bhakkar district, triggering a complete shutdown of the vital highway linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces. The attack, which claimed the lives of several police personnel, has exacerbated tensions in a region already reeling from a surge in militant strikes against security forces.
The blast occurred late Tuesday near the Dera Darya Khan bridge at the Dazil checkpost, a key juncture connecting Dera Ismail Khan in KP to Punjab. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage captured the assailant approaching the post before detonating his explosives around 7 PM. In the immediate aftermath, authorities sealed off the route, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and commuters scrambling for alternatives.
This incident marks the latest in a string of assaults over recent days that have killed at least seven policemen. Punjab police swiftly placed the area under high alert, launching extensive search operations in surrounding districts. The prolonged closure, persisting into Wednesday, has crippled inter-provincial movement, hitting traders hardest during the holy month of Ramadan.
Business leaders in Dera Ismail Khan voiced grave concerns over disrupted supply lines from Punjab’s commercial hubs like Lahore. Sohail Ahmad Azmi, president of the Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran, warned that extended blockades could lead to shortages ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, inflicting heavy financial losses on the local economy. ‘Our businesses are on the brink,’ he told reporters, highlighting how recent PTI protest blockades had already strained logistics.
The attack underscores a alarming uptick in violence across KP. According to the Center for Research and Security Studies’ annual report, fatalities from terrorist incidents in the province jumped from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025. As security forces intensify operations, the humanitarian and economic toll continues to mount, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of this escalating conflict.