Pakistan

Car bomb kills four, 30 hurt

Article published on the 2008-04-25 Latest update 2008-04-25 15:37 TU

Police at the bomb site
(Photo: AFP)

After a brief period of calm, a car bomb set off near a police station in northwest Pakistan killed four and hurt 30, according to police. Several people are still trapped in the rubble. The bomb destroyed the police station and damaged a hotel and several shops nearby. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

This is the region's first violent attack since the new government took power in March.

Witnesses say that a man in a Suzuki car parked his car outside the hotel, before entering to order a cup of tea and then disappearing.

The blast comes despite efforts by Prime Minister Yousouf Raza Gilani's government to initiate dialogue with Taliban members and sympathisers - a breach with President Pervez Musharraf's reliance on military repression.

Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who's based in tribal areas near North-West Frontier Province, declared a unilateral ceasefire on Thursday, while government officials announced they had made a draft peace agreement with the armed militias. Key points included a ceasefire, troop withdrawal in certain areas and a prisoner exchange.