Four injured in IED blast in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

At least four people, including three children, were injured on Tuesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded here in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to the police, the blast occurred around 9:10 am near a school in the provincial capital Peshawar, Geo News reported.

At least four kilogrammes of explosives, planted in a cemented block on the side of the road, were used in the blast.

Police and rescue teams were sent to the site as soon as the blast was reported, Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The injured children, between the ages of seven and 10, were moved to a private hospital, the report said.

The condition of two children was critical, a spokesperson of the Peshawar Lady Reading Hospital was quoted as saying in the report.

Khan said that the police launched a search operation in the surrounding areas. The element of extortion is also being considered in the blast," he was quoted as saying.

It would be premature to say who was the target, he added.

Recently, Pakistan has been hit by a wave of terrorist activities orchestrated by various terror outfits.

According to a recent report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) think tank, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the most affected by terror attacks in November, recording 51 attacks with 54 deaths and 81 injuries.