Suicide attack in Lower Dir kills 8

Police said the bomber exploded himself on foot at a bus terminal.


Afp April 04, 2011

KHAR: A teenage suicide bomber killed a Pakistani anti-Taliban militia leader and seven other people on Monday, in the sixth bomb attack in as many days to hit the nuclear-armed country.

The bomber killed his apparent target as he sipped tea with relatives at a car showroom near a bus terminal in the small town of Jandol in the district of Lower Dir, 200 kilometers from the capital Islamabad.

The town is close to Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt on the Afghan border, which Washington calls Al-Qaeda's global headquarters and where local troops are under US pressure to widen the fight against Islamist militants.

Police said the bomber exploded himself on foot at a bus terminal close to the car showroom, where three people were among the dead and several vehicles were also damaged. The overall death toll had risen to eight by mid-afternoon.

"We have found the head of the bomber. He appears to be a teenager, a 15 to 16-year-old boy," said Dir district police chief Saleem Marwat.

"The death toll is eight as one more person died of his injuries," Doctor Mohammad Karim told by telephone from the district hospital in Timargarah, the main town in Dir .

Police said the target of the suicide attack was Mohammad Akbar, head of a lashkar, or tribal militia, set up by the government to fight Taliban militants.

Akbar had survived previous attempts on his life, but was in the show room run by his family members when the bomber hit.

"Malik Akbar died in the blast," Qazi Jamil ur-Rehman, the regional deputy inspector general of police said. "Apparently he was the target," he added.

Residents said local authorities declared a curfew and that the emergency response had been sluggish in the remote town.

COMMENTS (7)

sudhir | 12 years ago | Reply Another blast from religion of peace for the religion .. Keep the good work..
Afridi | 12 years ago | Reply Sad Sad, how many time Rehman (Shaitan) Malik has announced clearing of these areas and has broken their back? He with our star generals need Bangles not ammo.
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