[Arab News] A jacket wallah rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a mosque in northwest Pakistain on Wednesday, killing 18 paramilitary soldiers and coppers, police said.The mosque, which was heavily damaged, is beside a cop shoppe on the outskirts of Bannu, a town bordering North Wazoo, a hub of Al-Qaeda and Talibs. Officials said people were trapped in the rubble. "We have received 18 dead bodies and 15 injured," said Mohammad Rahim, a doctor in Bannu's main hospital.
District police chief Mohammad Iftikhar said that most of those hurt were coppers and paramilitary personnel.
The attack was immediately claimed by Pak Taliban, who said it was to avenge US drone strikes in Pakistain's tribal belt, which borders Afghanistan.
"We claim responsibility for this attack. We will continue such attacks unless the drone attacks are stopped," Taliban front man Azam Tariq, speaking from
The bomb followed a missile strike by an unmanned aircraft on a hard boy compound in the North Wazoo region at dawn on Wednesday, which killed five hard boys, security officials said.
The United States does not officially confirm the controversial drone attacks, which take place with Islamabad's tacit approval and which US officials say has severely weakened Al-Qaeda's leadership.
In 2010 the campaign doubled missile attacks in the tribal area with around 100 drone strikes killing more than 650 people, according to sources. The suicide kaboom came as US Vice President Joe
Foreign Policy Whiz KidBiden
... an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body ...
was visiting Pakistain.
Biden spoke following talks with President Asif Ali
President Ten PercentZardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who showed remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ...
and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani that were expected to raise America's wish to see Pakistain do more to eradicate Al-Qaeda and Talibs living on its remote border.
The United States wants The Mighty Pak Army to do more to combat faceless myrmidons on its border, including by launching a ground offensive in the district of North Wazoo, where it says key Taliban leaders reside.
The army has stalled on a ground operation, saying its troops are overstretched.