[Egypt Independent] Gunmen tossed hand grenades into the house of a slain Pak police officer on Wednesday, police said, killing nine men in an attack coinciding with peace talks between the government and Pakistain Talibs.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the early morning assault on the house on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
. On Tuesday, attackers hurled grenades into a Peshawar cinema, killing 13.
The peace talks between government representatives and Taliban are taking place in the capital Islamabad, about 200 km (120 miles) to the east. Both sides are supposed to refrain from attacks while talks proceed, although there is no formal ceasefire.
It was not immediately clear why the gunnies targeted the house of the policeman, a mid-ranking inspector killed in a shoot-out with faceless myrmidons last Sunday.
About a dozen men threw grenades over the house's walls in the early hours of the morning and then clambered over, Peshawar Police Chief Ijaz Khan Mohmand told Rooters.
"After entering, they shot all the men in the in the house using AK-47 rifles," he said. Women and children in the house were spared.
Peshawar, a sprawling quiet provincial capital, is the gateway to Pakistain's frontier with Afghanistan and has been badly hit by bad boy violence.
Pak Taliban bully boyz have been battling for years to topple the government, banish democracy and establish their brand of Islamist rule. Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
wants to negotiate a settlement and stop the fighting.
Many experts are doubtful that talks will succeed - previous deals have all collapsed in violence. Some worry any governing role for the Taliban is incompatible with the country's laws.
Others point out that even if the government clinches a deal with the Taliban, there are many more bad boy groups that routinely target civilians.