Mosque suicide blast kills 11 in northwest Pakistan

At least 11 people including a woman and two children were killed and another 28 injured when a suicide bomber riding an explosive laden double cabin pick up exploded the vehicle in front of the police headquarters at Balambat Timergara in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) during Friday prayer.

According to official sources said the explosion occurred at 1:35 pm when the worshippers were just coming out of the Police Line mosque that is situated adjacent to police headquarters in Lower Dir district.

The operational commander of the area Colonel Nadeem Mirza while talking to local reporters after the blast said it was a suicide blast targeting the mosque. Most of the policemen and other security officials often offer their Friday prayer in said mosque.

The blast was so powerful that it shattered the entire area and window panes of the nearby houses and offices were also damaged whereas five vehicles parked near the blast site were also destroyed.

Eight dead bodies were shifted to the district headquarters hospital Timergara. Six of the dead were identified as Imran, Israr, Shakeel, Hayat, Anwar and Khalil while the identity of the four could not be ascertained. Some eye witnesses said they saw the double cabin pick up coming with full speed towards the mosque and exploded when it reached near the gate of the mosque. Most of the people who were killed were coming out of the Mosque gate.

According to eye witnesses most of the worshipers were inside the mosque when the bomber struck the gate had the bomber hit the mosque few minutes later the casualties would have been very high.

Some security sources said they had prior information that two suicide bombers had been entered into the district and they may attack. They said strict security steps were taken on Munda-Timergara road on Friday.

The injured were also rushed to the area hospital where the condition of some of them is stated to be critical.

A police official said two of their colleagues were dead while eight including two DSPs were among the injured.

The deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Shah Wazir and DSP Sher Hussain were also wounded in the blast, said the district police officer Mumtaz Zarin while talking to reporters. He also confirmed that it was a suicide attack targeting the mosque.

Emergency was declared by the district and hospital administrations after the deadly incident and announcements were made on loud speakers for blood donation.

Security forces soon after the blast cordoned off the area and no one was allowed to go to the site however after some time media men and local people were allowed to watch the site. It merits to mentioning here that it was the first incident of its nature that occurred at Timergara near a high security zone during the present turmoil.

The incident once again spread fear, panic and uncertainness among the people.

More than 2,700 people have been killed in attacks in Pakistan since July 2007, with the past three months seeing a surge in suicide bombings targeting civilian and security targets by militants avenging the army onslaught.

- Asian Tribune -