In northwest Pakistan's Mardan district, a roadside bomb targeted a police vehicle on a bridge but struck a rickshaw instead, killing three and injuring seven.

A roadside bomb that was planted on a bridge struck a rickshaw in northwest Pakistan on Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people and injuring seven others, according to officials.

The incident occurred in Mardan district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as reported by police official Sabir Khan. He mentioned that the wounded individuals were promptly transported to a nearby hospital.

Khan noted that the intended target appeared to be a police vehicle crossing the bridge, but the bomb instead hit a moving rickshaw, leading to civilian casualties. He added that authorities are currently conducting an investigation to identify those responsible for the attack.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, along with other government officials, condemned the bombing.

Although no group has claimed responsibility, similar attacks have previously been attributed to Islamic militants, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group closely allied with the Afghan Taliban. The Afghan Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 has reportedly provided sanctuary to many TTP leaders and fighters, allowing them to operate more openly.

Pakistan has attributed some attacks to the Islamic State group and splinter factions of the TTP, which maintains it targets only security forces.