Medics at the Lady Reading Hospital said that they received three bodies while one injured person succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Six people were also injured, four of them critically.
“The attacker was between 20 and 25 years of age. He targeted Haji Akhunzada, a commander of Ansarul Islam,” SSP Tahir Ayub toldThe Express Tribune. “He approached Akhunzada who was sitting in a field near an under-construction house and blew himself up.”
DSP Imtiaz Shah said that the three other fatalities included Akhunzada’s nephew and son-in-law.
According to Akhunzada’s son Khan Taj, the family had been living in the area for four months and had been receiving threats because his father “was helping the government against extremist group Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI)”. The LeI, led by Mangal Bagh Afridi, is active in Khyber Agency where Akhunzada’s group also operates.
Taj said that earlier, LeI members opened fire at Akhunzada’s vehicle in the Hayatabad neighbourhood of Peshawar. “There is a long list of people and friends who have been killed by the LeI in the last few years.”
Among other family members murdered by the LeI are Akhunzada’s nephew Maulana Mustamin who was killed in Tirah Valley in 2008. Mustamin’s brother Mobin Afridi, who was also Ansarul Islam’s spokesperson, was killed in 2009 in a car explosion in Hayatabad. A few days later, while mourners gathered for Afridi’s death, three people were killed but Akhunzada remained unhurt. Further, a member of Ansarul Islam, Haji Ghulam Nabi, was kidnapped from Pakha Ghulam in early 2008 and remains missing till this day.
Sources said that Akhuzada headed operations against LeI and was a senior member of Ansarul Islam’s shura.
Peace committee member killed
Meanwhile, a member of a peace committee from Mohmand Agency was killed by gunmen in Peshawar on Monday evening. Gunmen who were riding a motorcycle killed Malik Wazir near the Bakhso Pull area on Charsadda Road. Wazir, 70, was a member of the Tehsil Bayzai peace committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2012.
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@US CENTCOM: USA needs to leave the region in order to bring peace and stability here, proxy wars have had a heavy toll on inocent citizens of pakistan. Funding of armed militants by foreign states to act as proxies have made a bigger mess then actual terrorism. Maj David you need to get some intell from CIA as to what actually is happening on the stretch of pakistan afghan border.
Another blatant attack by the terrorists, another bunch of innocent killed and injured. Do these ruthless killers realize that by killing one person, they destroy the lives of many? Our condolences go out to the families of dead and injured. The agenda of these terrorists is to create havoc and destroy as many lives as they can. The only way peace can prevail is for all parties to resolve their differences fast and together go back to the main focus of eliminating these terrorists. Unless we do that, the terrorists will keep attacking and keep killing innocent Pakistanis.
Maj David Nevers DET-United States Central Command www.centcom.mil/ur
Too many militants & groups... This killing doesn`t matter as long as militants dont hurt the common man. Anything else, no regrets.
OMG..!! When will all this stop yaar.. :(
Thanks for giving the fast and reliable reporting, please correct the day, its not Sunday as written erroneously but it is Monday 30 Jan 2012.