Bagh police have said a deadly house explosion in Pandi Topi village of Bagh district in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was caused by explosives placed inside the building, not by a gas cylinder. At least four people—two women and two children—were killed in the blast on 29 October, and a 15-year-old girl was injured.
The blast took place at about 7pm at the home of Shakdar, son of Sohbat, in Pandi village. According to police, two women, a boy and a girl who were inside died. The injured teenager, Aneeka Shakdar, was moved to District Headquarters Hospital Bagh, where she is receiving treatment.
Police assessment of the Bagh blast
Early accounts from local residents had pointed to a gas cylinder exploding inside the house. Bagh police have rejected that version. In a video statement, Bagh District Superintendent of Police (SP) Ameeruddin said the explosion happened inside the house and that no object was thrown into it from outside.
He said the damaged house showed no blast marks on the walls and a crater on the floor, which police treat as signs that explosive material was already inside. A police statement framed the Bagh blast as the result of that material, not a domestic gas accident.
The SP condemned the deaths of civilians, especially women and children, and called the targeting of ordinary people an unlawful act. Police said the inquiry into the incident is still under way.
Aftermath and allegations
Ameeruddin further alleged that after the explosion, miscreants opened indiscriminate fire on law enforcement personnel and used grenade launchers. He vowed that those responsible for the civilian deaths and for attacks on police would be brought to justice.
He also accused elements linked to the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC)—a group police describe as outlawed—of spreading false and misleading claims on social media to blame state institutions for the blast. He said a campaign after the explosion sought to distort facts and stir hostility toward the state, and claimed some actors had used social media to fuel confrontation while exploiting homes of poor residents as hideouts.
Those allegations come from the Bagh SP; police have not yet announced arrests or a completed forensic report in the material available.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 29 October 2026, about 7pm: Explosion at Shakdar’s residence in Pandi / Pandi Topi, Bagh district; four people inside killed; Aneeka Shakdar, 15, injured and taken to DHQ Hospital Bagh.
- Soon after the blast: Local residents circulate an account that a gas cylinder exploded inside the house.
- After the explosion (per Bagh SP): Alleged indiscriminate firing and grenade-launcher use against law enforcement.
- Police clarification (following days): Bagh police and SP Ameeruddin state explosives were already inside the house; reject the gas-cylinder account; condemn civilian deaths; accuse banned JAAC-linked elements of a misleading social media campaign; say investigations continue.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Bagh ke Pandi Topi mein 29 October ko ghar mein dhamaka hua, jis mein do auratain aur do bachay jaan se gaye. Police ka kehna hai ye gas cylinder nahi tha—ghar ke andar pehle se rakha hua dhamaka khez samaan tha. Pandrah saal ki larki Aneeka Shakdar zakhmi hai aur Bagh hospital mein ilaaj karwa rahi hai. Police keh rahi hai jaanch jari hai aur jo log masoomon ki maut aur police par hamlay ke zimmedar hain unhen pakra jayega.
