Officer, soldiers among 11 killed in terror attacks
KALAYA / PESHAWAR: A lieutenant-colonel, five soldiers and five civilians were killed in bomb attacks on a paramilitary convoy in Orakzai Agency and a mosque near Peshawar on Friday.
A bomb planted on a road in Yakho Kandao area was detonated by remote control when a paramilitary convoy was going from Ghaljo to Thall garrison in Hangu district.
Lt-Col Mohammad Yousaf who belonged to Sargodha and soldiers Tahir Marwat, Habib Mangal, Mohammad Khan, Hanif Rehman and Mazhar Hussain were killed. Two soldiers were injured.
The area was cordoned off and a search operation was carried out, but no arrest was made.
At least five people were killed and 30 injured in the bomb attack on the main mosque of Peshtakhara Bala near Peshawar.
The blast damaged parts of the mosque and shattered windowpanes of nearby houses.
Peshawar police chief Liaquat Ali Khan told reporters that the explosive device placed beside a pillar in the veranda was detonated by remote control.
He said security had been beefed up around all mosques in bazaars and congested areas, but securing such places in villages was almost impossible.
He said that apparently the attacker entered the mosque when worshippers were gathering for Friday prayers. The explosion took place at about 1.55pm when people had started leaving.
He said that in view of the situation, people should set up local peace committees, keep an eye on suspicious people and provide information about their movement to police.
Major Shafqat Malik, the chief of the bomb disposal unit said small ball bearings had been found at the place, adding that 3kgs of explosives used in the blast left a deep crater in the veranda. The explosives were packed in a canister wrapped in cloth.
Cantonment Circle SP Shafiullah Khan said a search operation had been launched in the area close to Khyber Agency.
The blast killed Naseer (18), Rehmat (20), Hasnain (5), Haroon (9) and Younus Khan (10). The injured were taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex where six of them were in critical condition.
Mohajirullah, who was in the mosque, said he was offering prayers when he heard the blast and rushed to the veranda. "It was smoke all around with the victims lying on the ground and the injured crying in pain."
Most of the injured were young men or children. Villagers took them to hospitals in private vehicles.
Senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour said that terrorists, who were in disarray because of action taken against them, had started attacking innocent people in places of worship.
He said the government was determined to continue to mount pressure on terrorists till their elimination. He announced a compensation of Rs300,000 for each deceased and Rs100,000 for the injured.
A police post had been attacked in Bara Qadeem locality in the same area on Wednesday.
HIDEOUTS ATTACKED: After the explosion in Orakzai, helicopters gunships attacked suspected militant hideouts in the upper tehsil of the agency. Security officials claimed that 12 insurgents had been killed and eight injured.
The claim could not be verified from independent sources.
FUNERAL: The funeral of Lt-Col Yousaf and the five soldiers was held in Peshawar, attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani and senior military officers.
Talking to reporters, the governor said the nation had been rendering sacrifices for three years and despite casualties and sufferings people's morale was high. "We have to win this war at all cost."
He said the war against terrorism might continue for another three years.
AP adds: Officials in the tribal region said some areas in Kurram Agency had also come under helicopter attack and the total number of suspected insurgents killed was 16.
A police official in Peshawar said the bomb attack on the mosque might have been carried out to avenge a recent crackdown on militants in the area.
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