PESHAWAR: A suicide bomb attack in north-western Pakistan killed at least eight people, including provincial law minister, and injured 28 others on first day of Eid-ul-Azha.
The bombing came on Wednesday evening when the law minister Israrullah Gandapur was exchanging Eid greetings with people at his residence in Kullachi town of Dera Ismail Khan bordering the country's volatile tribal regions.
According to police officials, the attacker first killed the guard at the house and then blew himself up inside the guest room of the minister's residence.
"The suicide bomber was on foot and entered the hujrah (male guest house) of law minister for Eid greetings. Law minister Israrullah Gandapur and seven others were killed in the attack while 28 others were injured," said Shah Farman, information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
Gandapur was a member of the ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), a party led by former cricketer Imran Khan which favours peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban. He was the third PTI lawmaker from KPK to be killed in suicide bombing since the elections.
The attack was claimed by Ansar-ul-Mujahideen group of militants, associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. While claiming responsibility of the attack, Abu Baseer, the group's spokesman said: "We killed the KPK law minister. We targeted him to avenge the killing of our friend who was killed by security forces a couple of days ago and then dumped his body on road side in Dera Ismail Khan."
Suicide attack kills Pakistani minister, 7 others - The Times of India
The bombing came on Wednesday evening when the law minister Israrullah Gandapur was exchanging Eid greetings with people at his residence in Kullachi town of Dera Ismail Khan bordering the country's volatile tribal regions.
According to police officials, the attacker first killed the guard at the house and then blew himself up inside the guest room of the minister's residence.
"The suicide bomber was on foot and entered the hujrah (male guest house) of law minister for Eid greetings. Law minister Israrullah Gandapur and seven others were killed in the attack while 28 others were injured," said Shah Farman, information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
Gandapur was a member of the ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), a party led by former cricketer Imran Khan which favours peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban. He was the third PTI lawmaker from KPK to be killed in suicide bombing since the elections.
The attack was claimed by Ansar-ul-Mujahideen group of militants, associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. While claiming responsibility of the attack, Abu Baseer, the group's spokesman said: "We killed the KPK law minister. We targeted him to avenge the killing of our friend who was killed by security forces a couple of days ago and then dumped his body on road side in Dera Ismail Khan."
Suicide attack kills Pakistani minister, 7 others - The Times of India
