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Suicide bombers kill 40 in Mohmand Agency
[Dawn] Twin jacket wallahs in police uniform killed 40 people in Pakistain's tribal district on Monday, attacking an anti-Taliban militia and pro-government elders near the Afghan border.The bombers badly damaged an administration compound in Ghalanai, the main town in the district of Mohmand, about 175 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of Islamabad and which has been hard hit by violence. A purported Pak Taliban front man grabbed credit for the attack, threatening death to anyone who forms militias against the thugs. Survivor Sakhi Jan, a 50-year-old member of the peace committee, the anti-Taliban militia, who suffered injuries to his hand, described how "double blasts rocked everything around". Amjad Ali, a senior administration official in Mohmand district, said 40 people were killed and 60 maimed, with 25 in a serious condition. "The bombers were wearing tribal police uniform. One of them went kaboom!" at the main gate and the second in the office," Ali said. At least 10 government officials and two Pak television journalists were among the dead, he said. More than 100 people were believed to have been in the compound where government officials, allied tribal elders and members of the local anti-Taliban militia were meeting when the bombers struck. "Tribesmen and elders had been sitting in small groups on the lawn outside the office of the political agent," said Shuja Ahmed, another peace committee member. Local official Maqsood Amin said the bombs destroyed two rooms in the compound, where an AFP news hound saw pieces of human flesh scattered on the ground and a foot-deep crater gouged out of the lawn. There were divergent reports on whether at least one bomber went kaboom!" on a cycle of violence or whether the attackers came on foot. The purported chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) in Mohmand grabbed credit for the attack. "Our two jacket wallahs targeted people who were working against the Taliban," Omar Khalid told AFP by telephone from an unknown location. "Those who will work against us and make lashkars (tribal army) or peace committees will be targeted. "Our war is to enforce Sharia (Islamic law) and anyone who hinders our way or sides with America will meet the same fate," Khalid said. Pakistain flatly denies US suggestions it is not doing enough to tackle Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked cut-throats who have carved out strongholds in the northwest and last year inched closer to the capital Islamabad. Posted by: Fred 2010-12-07 |
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