Officials have blamed the Pakistani Taliban for attacking a mosque attended by pro-government tribesmen during Friday prayers. At least 50 worshipers were killed.
By Owais Tohid, Correspondent / August 19, 2011
Karachi, Pakistan
In one of Pakistan's deadliest attacks in recent years, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a packed mosque Friday, killing at least 50 worshipers and injuring more than 100 in Pakistan’s tribal belt of Khyber.
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Around 400 tribesmen were at the main Madina Mosque in Jamrod performing Friday prayers when the bomber detonated his bomb. The explosion caused the roof of the mosque to collapse, burying many of the worshipers.
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“I was offering prayers when the blast hit us. I fell unconscious and when regained consciousness I could only see clouds of smoke, dead and injured around me," says Hashmat Ullah Kooki Khel, a witness the Monitor reached by phone.
Most of the victims belong to THE Kookikhel tribe that is largely considered to pro-government and anti-Taliban. The Pakistani Taliban has not claimed responsibility but officials have blamed the militants for the bombing.
“This is [a] cowardly attack by Taliban and the attackers cannot be Muslims to kill innocent worshipers in the holy month of Ramadan,” Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister of Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa province, told reporters. During the month-long holiday, Muslims all over the world observe fasting and offer special prayers.
“They are weakened and the operations by security forces have broken their backbone, so it could be [a] revenge tactic,” Mr. Hussain said.
The Khyber region has great strategic importance as it borders Afghanistan and is a gateway for NATO supplies to US-led forces in Afghanistan.
The area is known as being a hotbed of militants from Ansar-ul-Islam and Lashkar-e-Islam. Lashkar-e-Islam (Army of Islam) is headed by militant commander Manghal Bagh, while its rival Ansar-ul-Islam operates under Qazi Mohib. Both groups are fighting against Pakistani forces in Khyber.
The rivals have a long history of fighting, which has claimed hundreds of lives. Pakistan’s military launched a crackdown in 2009 to clear the region of militants.
In the past, Taliban militants and their allied groups have attacked at mosques and assemblies of tribesmen, known as jirgas, attended by anti-Taliban militias in Pakistan’s northwest.
Last year, the Taliban carried out twin suicide attacks in the village of Darra Adam Khel, where local tribesmen were resisting Taliban influence. More than 60 people were killed in that attack.
About 150,000 Pakistani troops have been deployed in the semiautonomous mountainous tribal belt and have been fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban militants along Afghanistan border. In retaliation, the Taliban have carried out deadly attacks in several cities across Pakistan.
Showing posts with label suicide attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide attack. Show all posts
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday, January 1, 2010
88 die in Lakki Marwat blast Janruay 1st, 2010
LAKKI MARWAT: A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden double-cabin pickup in the middle of a crowd gathered for a volleyball game, killing 88 people and injuring 37 in Shah Hassan Khel area on Friday.
It was the highest death toll from a militant strike since a massive car bomb on Oct 28 killed 125 people in a crowded market popular with women in Peshawar.
According to agency reports, a man detonated his vehicle as sports fans gathered in a field to watch two local teams face off at volleyball in Lakki Marwat which borders South Waziristan.
“The villagers were watching the match between the two teams when the bomber rashly drove his pick-up into them and blew it up,” district police chief Mohammad Ayub Khan said.
“We have removed all bodies and wounded from the rubble and now the total death toll is 75 while 42 people were wounded.”
Ramzan Bittani, a 33-year-old driver, said that he had left the match to take a call.
“As I was listening, I saw a huge blue and white spark followed by an ear-piercing blast. When I was able to figure out what had happened, I saw bodies and smoke all around. My hand was fractured,” he said.
The NWFP government announced Rs300,000 compensation for the heir of each deceased and Rs100,000 for each of the injured.—Agencies
Our Correspondent Mursaleen Marwat adds: A team of doctors was dispatched from the adjacent Bannu district because of meagre health facilities in Lakki Marwat and health professionals were finding it difficult to treat the injured.
Local people said that the terrorist rammed his explosives-laden pickup into a wall near the volley ball court. The powerful explosion destroyed several houses and shops in the locality and according to witnesses a few houses also caught fire.
A portion of a mosque where a meeting of a local peace committee was in progress also caved in, said Gul Janan, a member of the committee.
Doctors said that 10 critically injured people were moved to other hospitals in the region.
A local elder said militant groups in North Waziristan had threatened members of the peace committee.
Local people have set up peace committees in the area to prevent insurgent activities in the area.
“We have been receiving threats from militant groups in the North Waziristan,” said Mushtaq Marwat.
Local people shifted the injured in cars and wagons to the main hospital. Witnesses said that the playground was littered with human flesh and blood and several bodies were charred and mutilated beyond recognition.
It was the highest death toll from a militant strike since a massive car bomb on Oct 28 killed 125 people in a crowded market popular with women in Peshawar.
According to agency reports, a man detonated his vehicle as sports fans gathered in a field to watch two local teams face off at volleyball in Lakki Marwat which borders South Waziristan.
“The villagers were watching the match between the two teams when the bomber rashly drove his pick-up into them and blew it up,” district police chief Mohammad Ayub Khan said.
“We have removed all bodies and wounded from the rubble and now the total death toll is 75 while 42 people were wounded.”
Ramzan Bittani, a 33-year-old driver, said that he had left the match to take a call.
“As I was listening, I saw a huge blue and white spark followed by an ear-piercing blast. When I was able to figure out what had happened, I saw bodies and smoke all around. My hand was fractured,” he said.
The NWFP government announced Rs300,000 compensation for the heir of each deceased and Rs100,000 for each of the injured.—Agencies
Our Correspondent Mursaleen Marwat adds: A team of doctors was dispatched from the adjacent Bannu district because of meagre health facilities in Lakki Marwat and health professionals were finding it difficult to treat the injured.
Local people said that the terrorist rammed his explosives-laden pickup into a wall near the volley ball court. The powerful explosion destroyed several houses and shops in the locality and according to witnesses a few houses also caught fire.
A portion of a mosque where a meeting of a local peace committee was in progress also caved in, said Gul Janan, a member of the committee.
Doctors said that 10 critically injured people were moved to other hospitals in the region.
A local elder said militant groups in North Waziristan had threatened members of the peace committee.
Local people have set up peace committees in the area to prevent insurgent activities in the area.
“We have been receiving threats from militant groups in the North Waziristan,” said Mushtaq Marwat.
Local people shifted the injured in cars and wagons to the main hospital. Witnesses said that the playground was littered with human flesh and blood and several bodies were charred and mutilated beyond recognition.
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