Pakistan - violence in NWFP

Bombings in Peshawar, Bannu claim 15 lives

Article published on the 2009-09-26 Latest update 2009-09-26 14:42 TU

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari addresses the UN General Assembly beside a photo of his late wife Benazir Bhutto
(Photo: Reuters)

The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for a bombing in Bannu, North-West Frontier Province, which killed five people on Saturday and was followed by a deadlier blast in the provincial capital, Peshawar.

Ten people and at least 50 injured were killed in Peshawar, according to doctors and the main government-run hospital.

"It was a car suicide blast and according to our calculations 100 kilogrammes of explosives were used," said bomb disposal squad chief Shafqat Malik. "The suicide bomber sitting inside the car hurled a grenade and then he detonated himself and the car,"

Malik believes that the target was the Askari bank, which is run by an army welfare trust.

"At least two suspects have been taken into custody and taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation, according to Pakistan's News International, which says as many as 75 were injured.

Police admit that the bomber managed to pass a routine security cordon. They say the attack is revenge for anti-Taliban military operations in Swat Valley and the tribal areas near the Afghan border.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the earlier bombing outside a police station in Bannu, near the North Waziristan tribal area. The Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) umbrella group threatened bigger attacks on government targets to avenge the killing of their leader, Baitullah Mehsud.

"We claim responsibility for the Bannu bombing," senior TTP leader Qari Hussain told the AFP newswire. "We had been silent but the government took our silence as a sign of a weakness after Baitullah's martyrdom.

"We are not weak and in future we will target government installations and officials with greater severity."

Seven armed fighters, including a local commander, were killed in clashes northeast of Swat's main town Mingora in a Taliban stronghold and former training centre, the military said Saturday.

In Rawalpindi on Saturday an anti-terror tribunal put off for a week the trial of seven men suspected of involvement in planning last year's Mumbai attacks.