Categories: Muslim World

Deadly attack at Pakistan funeral procession

At least 36 people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a funeral procession in north-western Pakistan.
Officials said the funeral was for the wife of a pro-government ethnic Pashtun tribal elder in Adezai village in the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

It was being attended by many anti-Taliban militiamen in the region. At least 40 people were wounded.
Several anti-Taliban tribal groups are based in the area and they are often targeted by the insurgents.
A spokesman for the Taliban told the BBC that they had carried out the bombing.
He said it was in retaliation for the support by local tribal militia of the continuing anti-Taliban operation by Pakistan’s security forces.
An injured man is taken into the hospital in Peshawar It is the second major bombing in as many days in Pakistan
Survivors of Wednesday’s bombing complained there was no police protection although the militiamen are targeted regularly.
The bomber targeted the funeral of the wife of Hakim Khan – a leader of the anti-Taliban tribal force in Adezai, some 15km (10 miles) from Peshawar city.
Mr Khan was instrumental in raising the force, known as a lashkar, with the support of the government to fight militants.
Correspondents say that it was not immediately clear if Mr Khan was killed or wounded in the explosion.
The procession was on its way to the cemetery when the attack took place.
“As we are readying for prayers, a boy wrapped in a shawl headed towards us. People shouted to the imam (prayer leader) to wait for him to join us but as he came close he blew himself up,” witness Mehmood Shah told the Reuters news agency.
The ground was strewn with the dead and wounded. Hats were scattered around and there was a pile of shoes left behind the victims.
Rescue workers were quick to reach the scene and the injured were taken to hospitals in Peshawar, where a medical emergency was declared.
The BBC’s Syed Shoaib Hasan in Pakistan says the militants aim to discourage local citizens from helping the security forces.
Adezai, located in the Mattani area, has been the centre of a tribal anti-Taliban force raised with the government support.
The head of the force, Abdul Malik, was killed in a bomb attack in 2009.
The area has also seen frequent Taliban attacks on police stations and security posts.
Until recently, the tribal anti-Taliban force had been conducting night patrols to discourage Taliban attacks but it ended some weeks ago as the government’s supply of arms and ammunition to the members of the force dwindled.
The attack comes a day after at least 26 people were killed and more than 120 injured in a car bomb explosion at a gas station in the industrial city of Faisalabad.
The Taliban said they were behind Tuesday’s attack. Most markets in the city were shut on Wednesday as residents mourned the dead.

Source: BBC

majed

Recent Posts

Prominent University Scholar Dr. Habibullah Salarzahi Dies Suddenly Under Suspicious Circumstances; Funeral Prayer Held at Makki Grand Mosque in Zahedan

Zahedan (Sunni Online) — Dr. Habibullah Salarzahi, president of the Sistan and Baluchestan Science and…

1 day ago

The Mahsa Amini Incident Led to a Popular Uprising in the Country

The Mahsa Amini Incident Led to a Popular Uprising in the Country

1 day ago

“Intensifying Sanctions”, “the War of Attrition” & “Insistence on Old Policies” Push the Country toward Further Crises

“Intensifying Sanctions”, “the War of Attrition” & “Insistence on Old Policies” Push the Country toward…

1 week ago

The Country’s Economy Has Reached the Brink of Collapse

The Country's Economy Has Reached the Brink of Collapse

2 weeks ago

We do not Accept Slogans of Unity; Unity must be Practical

We do not Accept Slogans of Unity; Unity must be Practical

3 weeks ago

Nepal-China flood disaster: What’s the latest toll, how many are missing?

The death toll from devastating floods near the border between Nepal and China has risen…

3 weeks ago