Bomb blast in northwest Pakistan kills five people

A bomb blast targeting police forces in northwest Pakistan has killed five people and injured 21, according to rescue and police officials.

A bomb blast targeting police forces in northwest Pakistan has killed five people and injured 21, according to rescue and police officials.

The blast occurred in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, which has long been home to foreign and domestic armed groups.

The bomb exploded close to the route of a police patrol, police official Mohammad Adnan said. It was not immediately clear if the incident was the result of a suicide attack or a bomb planted nearby, he added.

Pakistan daily Dawn reported that the latest blast comes days after a policeman was killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on a police camp in Dera Ismail Khan.

Violence has risen in Pakistan this year, and it is primarily linked to the increased activity of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned group ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban.

The country is also grappling with political and economic crises, which have led to a general decline in law and order.