PESHAWAR:
A female suicide bomber and a handcart bomb targeted the police on Thursday, part of three separate attacks that killed at least seven people and injured another 42 in the first deadly attacks to hit Peshawar during Ramazan, police officials and medics said.
Five of those killed were reported to be police personnel in the suicide bombing that took place in the Lahori Gate area of the city.
Police officials and locals said that the first attack took place at around 7:20 am, when a police van was targeted with a remote-controlled device on City Circular Road. The second attack involved a female suicide bomber who targeted a police check post with a grenade attack followed by a suicide bomb.
“[In the first blast] the explosives were placed on a cartwheel and covered with corn bushels,” City Circle Superintendent Police (SP) Syed Imtiaz Shah told The Express Tribune.
Shah said that a few minutes after the first blast, a female attacker lobbed a grenade on a police party and later blew herself up in a nearby street inside Lahori Gate. It remained unclear, however, if a second woman was involved in the attack.
The SP said that only part of the female’s suicide vest exploded, while other half did not detonate, which resulted in fewer casualties.
(Read: Extended suffering: In Peshawar, the death of one brings down a dozen others)
Keeping the security situation of the city in mind, Shah said that police remained alert beforehand and the female suicide bomber was not able to successfully target the area where media and investigators were located.
Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) Additional Inspector General (AIG) Shafqat Malik told reporters at the site that the female attacker wanted to target the police and media, but she failed to breach the security cordon and blew herself up at the nearby police check-post.
Shafqat said that at least eight kilograms of explosives were used in the first attack, wherein four police personnel were killed.
AIG Malik said that in the second attack, the female suicide bomber tried to attack police, rescue teams and media, but she was not able to breach the security cordon at the site and slipped into a nearby alley inside Lahori Gate and lobbed a grenade on a police check-post and later detonated the bomb attached to her body.
Rescue staff and medics at the city’s Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) said that the eight bodies including the body of the female suicide bomber were brought to the hospital together with the other 42 injured.
The medics said that six people were killed and 25 others were injured in the first attack on the police van, while two were killed and 17 others injured in the grenade and suicide attack.
The age of the suicide bomber is said to be around 16 to 17 years, while police suspected that another woman may have been her handler.
Rehmat, a policeman who was at the check-post which was targeted in the second attack, said that two women were walking at some distance when there was a sudden blast, which was followed by another blast – and after that he saw two police personnel collapsing to the ground, besides the two women.
The blasts caused widespread panic across the entire city and heavy contingents of security personnel rushed to the scene and cordoned off the site. The City Circular Road was also cordoned off, which caused traffic bottlenecks across the city.
Those who died in the first attack on the police van were identified as Syed Wali, Wajid, Aftab, Asghar Ali and Ahmed Shah, while a police constable, Saleem, was killed along with the suicide bomber and other two women in the second blast.
Incidents of female suicide bombings are rare in Pakistan. In the last such attack in December, a burqa-clad bomber killed more than 40 people in an attack on a food distribution centre in Bajaur.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2011.
COMMENTS (84)
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I think it will take three decades of war, terror and destruction before some Pakistanis will wake up and admit the truth.
Learn from the Afghans and their experiences! Afghans, from my many years experience in that region of the world, were beaten mercilessly into a place of humility by the series of calamities that struck their proud nation. Most now know clearly who the enemy is and despise that enemy with a passion and zeal rarely seen in Pakistan.
Pakistanis, by and large, still to this day will not allow themselves to look in the mirror and see the real enemy. Logic, reason, facts, truths, realities, real life experiences and testimonies still do not convince most that the real enemy is walking among them. Not paid by “the enemies of Islam”, not some “vast conspiracy”, not some “hidden hand”, but simply the reality that there are thousands and thousands of evil, heartless people inspired by the teachings of radical Islam who are engaged in a war of terror and rampage in the very name of Islam.
Until the majority take on the garb of humility, intellectual honesty and self-reflection, the war against the “real” enemies can never be won.
@Lord Voldemort: It should be a thing that "must not be named"
@Xoya: THESE ARE NOT MUSLIMS. WHO THEY ARE JUST THINK ...
Give them a oppurtunity and respect and justice and education then see nothing will happend not burqa nor turban.
@sarmad khan: if You keep counting Barveli, deobandi, salafi, wahabi, Shia, LeJ,HuM,LJ, JI,TTP,P-TP etc., etc., the people of pakistan are associated at any moment of the time agaisnt either of any one of the above said corporates!. of if you want to count the people who excluded then pakistan will left with fingure counting nos. (might be your minority) so whom do you think you want to punish. (All but None)
Give Taliban what they want...
@all of you
on a lighter side, it gives a right time and opportunity to ban Burqa in Pakistan , it may be the harbinger of women liberation.....
Seems some Pakistani's will always be beggar's. Ask money with one hand and blow up US/Pak etc civilians with the other hand. DISGUSTING!
@hariharmani:
Please use paragraphs to break your posts into smaller digetible and organized portions to make it easier to read and comprehend.
Clearly some people have problem detecting sarcasm. Folks, the first post here, by Mirza, is SARCASTIC and so it should be, because in the face of not just terrorism but relentless support for them from mainstream morons such as PML and PTI, we can say nothing rational that convince them and their followers.
Just shows how desperate these anti state criminals are- instead of taking Indian money to bribe little boys, now they are using it to but poor women to commit cowardly acts of terrorism on innocent Pakistan. Seems to be very desperate on the part of the anti state criminals who are running out of steam!
Well, when a woman makes her mind to kill, she really mean business. A female suicide bomber is somehow way dangerous than a man suicide bomber.
One Question to these Mullas talibans :
Is Killing in the Holy Month of Ramzan Right ??
Taking others life is a SIN in all Religions
When its comes to blowing themselves up the Mullas consider women strong & equal otherwise she is just a slave .
Ban Burqas , Women can wear hijab but Ban Burqas as we dont know if there is a Man or a woman in it
Vienna,12-08-2011 I noticed some one´s comment warning about going to hell.But may I ask if hell is not within the boundaries of Pakistan, where else it is located? I wanted to visit Pakistan in October 1970 believing it was not hell.But the hell´s Embassy in Kabul told me point blank you are unfit to be our guest visitor. I have no regrets. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring, TTTMM India --Kulamarva Balakrishna
I think its the fault of public. They are themselves responsible. These low lives get killed in our drone strikes and give us a bad name. I think they should move to some where else. Its a fight between us and FF of Pakistan. Can you public play dead for a while we sort this among ourselves? On second thought, you have been playing dead for quite sometime. Hmmm...
To all who commented on my comments. I was trying to be sarcastic that these terrorists are Muslims and our friends. No they are not; they are brutal killers who would not stop till they kill as many Pakistanis as they can. @hariharmani: Dear I appreciate your comments and advise. I am sorry for not being clear and make it easy for everybody. However, I thought that most people would understand. You can call me any name but being uncharitable hurts me. I have been blogging a lot and late in the nights in my bed. This news came in very late and I wanted to write a short but biting statement. Be that as it may, I cannot change my outlook to promote power to the people and do away with hate and bigotry. I am a mere human with a fulltime job to make an honest living, my health has been far from well and I am sleep deprived. Still I would continue my fight against all social injustices and inequalities especially when religion is used as a tool of suppression. I do need a lot of help, and I am glad that I got some! Thanks and regards, Mirza, USA
@Khurram Asif: You are correct in saying that we must control these religious fanatics. They only achieve the deaths of Pakistanis. Dismantle all the madrassas. Religious education per the education department's guidelines can be given in public or private schools as is done in Australia. Educate Pakistani boys and girls in sciences. The Koran only says that people should be modestly dressed. A person need not wear a burqa or grow a beard. If that is the case then many. Pakistani men and women are not modest. Modest behaviour is in how we deal with other person. We are fast forgetting this. Ban all mullahs from political activities and if they want to indulge in politics they should vacate their religious dress and wear suts and also ban the burqa Then Pakistan will have better days.
Another day, another bomb blast. So what else is new?
Did we have our daily drone attack today?
Jamat islami and Pakistani Mullahs have no problem with all this bloodshed. They Still support these butchers and shy away from any condemnation of their actions. They still justify it because of lal masjid incident.
Dear mirza,Once I wrote in detail,and you were very uncharitable,because I took pains to explain,I know you,from your writing,you meant in sarcasm and look how people are ripping you up?sometime it pays to write in detail,it might bore smart Alex,like you,sometime,not every one is the smartest tool in the tool box.Get my point . Now about this terrible act of terror in Pakistan,which gets no respite.People are bewildered,are grouping for answer,they go from one extreme to other,Hamid for Caliphate?That shows extreme frusteration,and do not be surprised If Imran Khan exploit this situation,when nations are grouping in darkness like Germany in 1932,they elected mad man Adlof Hitler,who took them to fire from frying pan,I sincerely trust and hope and pray that does not happen to Pakistan.You have to worry about this calamity,all who mean well for Pakistan.I sincerely,do.Hedgefunder,pl,I understand your frusteration with Pakistan and the path Army has taken in past,your anger has rational reason,yet,we must never lose our sense of empathy and compassion.Pl,be little charitable and cut them little slack.Good will hunting,Mr Mirza,your own chicken have come back to roost,just kidding! I derive no pleasure from your discomfort,I do not have a mean bone for any one,least of it for you.Next time you sarcasm more judiciously.
@Mirza: "They never would harm their Pakistani brothers and civilians." Oh, and all those killed and injured were U.S. citizens, right?
Watch Bourne Ultimatum
Mr Mirza,wrote that in sarcasm,are you guys don't understand any sarcasm?ET does understand that.I in US,can see that,you guys cann't?Get a life.It was meant as a dig at people like Imran Khan,who do not seem to see that,along with many terrorist sympatisers.Wake up.
@Mahesh Patil: Also read it with iota of sense of humour ... you shall get the cruel joke being played
@Zainab Ali: You said "Indeed a very sad event and that too in Ramadan. However, I don’t believe in the possibility of women suicide bombers. It’s too early to speculate such a thing"
Taking your line further, I also do not think and am very sure that the killers are Muslims, no muslim will do such a dastardly act , that also during ramzaan,
It must be the usual CIA, Blackwater, Mussad, RAW or for that matter even some aliens from Mars...how mean of them
@ imran try it if u can but keep in mind its not turkey.
@M.Akthar: Well ! My dear man, even Allah has stop listening to your people and their plight, it seems !!!!
over the past 30 years we as a nation have become immune to the bomb blast news,it has as someone in the comments said become daily routine so there is no news in it,today though two events made me very jittery,angry,disgusted,disappointed and above all jelous.One:- the punjab assembly members fighting over subdivision of pakistan into smaller provinces without giving any heed to prevailing socio economic and political downslide of the situation prevailing in the country.two:- England,just 5 days into unrest and entire government machinery and social communities got united to fight back the culprits and have almost succeeded in overcoming the situation.the reason I feel concerned jelous is that previousely there was nothing to compare and to realise what was happening at our end,now the British example and their such quick reaction to the detiorating situation and collective efforts of entire people irrespective of the various differences among different races and political parties disappoints me when I compare their awareness to work in unison and our indifferent attitudes to what is happening to us.If someone disagrees with my saying 30 years I can prove it because I believe that our problems started the day first Af refugee entered Pakistan.
@ imran over one billion peoples and west trying to push them to wall they dont want to treat them in the way suppose to be and its also our leaders too.
Female suicide bombers are very alarming in Pakistan.
What should government do to prevent such attacks? BAN BURQA IN PAKISTAN?
I would like to have feed back on my comments from the valued readers of Express Tribune
I say Ban Burqas!
@Shastri: you missed many points in your post add this also, 4] the most important person, trainer or bomb expert 5] money courier 6]human trafficker. Add more info like brain washing, conspiracy, double gamers etc.
One of the signs of qiyamat (the world coming to end) as mentioned in Islam is that the killer will not know why he is killling people and the person being killed will not know why he is being killed.
Seems to explain exactly the situation nowadays..
what about drone attacks and innocent deaths.
@Mirza and Mahesh. There are three parties in every suicide attack, 1 the killed(victim), 2 the survivors(you and me) 3, the attacker (killed ). Now look the attacker was compelled to do a murder or mass murder, the attacker was so overwhelmed that he gave his own life for this unjustified act.'you and me' survived. So if this sequence is repeating again and again, and 'you and me' survive every time then who is responsible for this happening? certainly 'you and me' because we always survive and we are out of the situation and can play our role in improving the situation for the killer and killed. But alas! 'you and me' are always making fun of such events, and feel respected in honoured in giving degrading remarks for the suicide bomber .......and such events go on. Open your eyes Mirza open your eyes M,ahesh the case of suicide bombing is not that simple.....giving ones own life is a big thing, it deserves an investigation why one killed himself.
@Hedgefunder: Zaid Hamid will make a brilliant Caliph. After seeing the others do so little, I think it may be time to make Zaid the President and see how he goes. He promises to unify all Muslim nations and make a greater Muslim empire.
@Khurram Asif: Dear Asif, I could convey my point to you.I just wanted to say note the hidden sarcasm in Mr Mirza's comment.
I felt bad seeing recommendations of Mirza's comments which are taunting and making fun of a tragic incident. I suppose all those who recommend, mirza think in the same way, how bad it is. Why you dont you imagine a situation when one becomes ready to blow himself or herself. Might be because he dont feel the crave for truth and justice, which only a victim who is denied for justice can, so he makes fun of such situations.
@sarmad khan
Stop trying to distort thingsa nd bring Shias into this, who are the biggest victims of terrorist attacks.
@Mahesh Patil:
dear Mahesh, i hope you read the comments about Ajmal Kasab with open mind too!! :)
@M.Akthar: Yor need to do some serious home work on Islamic Caliphate ! As what few rights that Pakistanis may enjoy today will disappear too!!! Rest assure by having Caliohate is not going to solve your problems either. Who will you have as your first Caliph, out of your current Political Leaders??? As none are in the League to run anything but their own Bank accounts, let alone have an absolute power over 180 million people!!!! Would you really trust them with your own and your families lives???
@John: Hello John, hope you are well . Yes, surely this can not be classed as newsworthy item, due to regularity of such events in today's Pakistan and also due to the number of casualties, too few for major event !! Also involvement of woman suicide bomber!! Its just not possible is it? No doubt there are those who already are preparing another version for this incident to suit the local mood, as usual !!
Mirza Jee! We are strategic partners in this war, so they will kill whatever partner is available! And I am 100% sure, they keep doing this until we are strategic partners in this war! Don’t cry, just bear!
@Zainab Ali: Every event in Pakistan is always too early to speculate and there is never an conclusion, as these sort things usually gets swept under someone's carpet and soon forgotton until next such event!!! Wake up and take charge of these acts otherwise you may not have a country in few years time too!! Then speculate as to when the actions should have been taken !!
@Erum: Please read Mr.Mirza's comment with open mind.
Whenever Americans visit any city of Pakistan , bombs would go off…Stop them and stop TTP financial advisors
@saeed: You Pakistanis have been handsomely paid by the US in terms of Aid & Arms to deal with militants residing in your country, however you choose to play games with them, and then deny that they are in pakistan too! Even now the Pak Army is reluctant to take action against these militants in NW, so what other options does US have apart from using Drones to eradicate them, and do note thet Pak Army has endorsed Drone Attacks in the region too. If Pak Army really was that concerned about these Drone attacks, then why have they not taken any countermeasures to destroy them????
@Taimur: Tell this to your Army, as they consider these people as their " strategic Assets " !!! I don't know, as to for what purpose, except perhaps to cause havoc and mayhem in neighbouring countries!!!! But at present they are causing that in your own country, while you shelter them too !!! Its a very confused scenario !!!
Establishing the Islamic Caliphate is the only way for peace.
Where is Imran khan now, the biggest supporter of TTP. Still he believes that these are innocent people and he can make negotiations with them
@Mirza: And US is our friend. Building 7 fell because of dust on top of it. Taliban and TTP are same.
Someone need to see the reality not what TV feeds them.
Pathetic, and this henious crime they are carringout in their holy month of Ranazan. What Kind of religious followers these brutal people are ?
So US Seal Team got killed in Afghanistan: In response:
A drone attack that killed over 25 people A suicide attack in Peshawar Munter meeting Kiyani to ease restriction on the movement of it's so called "Diplomats" State Dept issues a statement that Pak is responsible for the safety of it's Diplomats, i.e. let them roam and take care of them too (saamp to doodh pilaatay raho)Whenever Americans will visit Peshawar, bombs would go off...Stop them going there
yawn... Hello express tribune... I thought this is a news website.. Some which happens everyday like having breakfast or dinner cannot be a news....
P.S.??? do you see the man in the picture?this is the cost for goodwill to "FFs" that we are paying and God forbid shall have to pay for dont know howlong
@???dear ? Mirza is right when he says the "FFs"are not harming Pakistan they are fighting against America because America is fighting with them,if in the process some children or women or other innocents get killed it is their own fault that they happen to be at the point of cross fire or they die due to friendly fire or friendly bombs,the "FFs"are only trying to win freedom they mean to harm to Pakistan or Pakistanis.Afterall this one Godforsaken country was the only one in the entire world to welcome the "FFs" with very wide open arms,how can they be so thankless to their hosts of 30 years.they are our guests and we should give them due respect.or else they will mind it and as they possess dual nationality of Pak and Af they will leave, unlike those who some 63 years back foolishly sacrificed their everything and came to Pakland "pukkey nangey" surrendering all their rights to their worldly belongings to India. The "FFs" are not that foolish.
Indeed a very sad event and that too in Ramadan. However, I don’t believe in the possibility of women suicide bombers. It’s too early to speculate such a thing.
@Mirza: Kudos for your hard hitting remarks.
@Mirza...there is no justification of these barbaric attacks, these people will directly go to hell fire who are involved in it and are doing it....but what about USA drone attacks and policies who are feeding these acts of violence in Pakistan..why you mouth can not say something about that...what if Pakistan will hit a drone attack in you area and will kill 4 "suspected terrorists" and with that 20 innocent people including your family as collateral damage..then I will ask you how it feels.do you have any kind of Conscience left in you when you comment on these attacks...these all talibans and terrorists never attacked us before 9/11 so how could it be our war..USA dragged Pakistan to it and our puppet leaders followed it..we Pakistanis are acting like a human shield for you cowards Americans..as all the burns of this war are coming only on our head and you sitting in you home and just commenting..not a single attack happened in America after 9/11and on the contrary we are having 9/11 every day..
Fight for the women's rights, Taliban can even launch suicide attacks for women's rights. What an Islam of Taliban!
@???: You didn't detect any sarcasm in that post now did you?
and yet these same Taliban are still seen as potential assets by military establishment.
@Taimur:
it's not just the taliban that are the problem.it's islamic fascism that is the real problem.we have wahabi,shia,barelvi militants who've killed too many people over the decades.the muderer of salman taseer shaheed was a barelvi fascist.the family of the deranged mumtaz qadri has received huge amount of money from a karachi based barelvi party.
The taliban as well as the sipah muhammad and barelvi militants should all be condemned ,when we only condemn the taliban we make the other islamic militants look innocent which they most certainly are not.
gender equalization by suicide bombers population control by target killing, suicide attack, bomb explosion
@Mirza for someone fighting Americans, you seem to be killing a whole lot of Pakistanis. "They would never harm their Pakistani brothers..." ERR. THEY JUST DID.
ET, with all due respect, there's a fine line between allowing free speech and allowing people who support pro-terrorist viewpoints on your website.
ENOUGH! we are humans. we bleed and we die. We refuse to accept these killings. Taliban are a menace and a curse. lets speak and act against them and those who sympathize with them. I don't care who are these terrorists fighting against. I only know that we bleed and die.
the women of the islamic fascists are just as demented as the men are.all these people know is how to kill others and destroy lives.strict action should be taken against the female madrassas including the jamia hafsa which is nothing but a breeding ground for future terrorists.
@Mirza: then why are they killing innocent pakistanis...????
Seems like our beloved freedom fighters are running out of little boys, as this time its two little girls.
When will the likes of Baitullah and those other scoundrels get the courage to strap on a suicide belt? and when will Taliban apologists like the Chairman of PTI realize that frustrated freedom fighters don't put suicide belts on children, but instead strap them on themselves.
i agree with mirza
Misdirected strategic assets?
Zinda hai Raymond zinda hai.
Who says that the terrorists and mullahs do not treat women equally? When it comes to being a suicide bomber they actually prefer women and children. No discrimination here! Make no mistake about it, these "freedom fighters" are not against Pakistan they are only fighting against the US. They never would harm their Pakistani brothers and civilians. It is not our war, it is America's war.