* Three killed, 24 hurt in Peshawar Press Club suicide attack
* Bomber blows himself up after being challenged by guard at club’s entrance
* Journalists to observe three-day mourning
PESHAWAR: Three people, including a woman, were killed and another 24 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday.
The building is situated on the Sher Shah Suri Road close to the Cantonment Railway Station. Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) officials confirmed the toll in the first ever suicide attack in the country aimed specifically at journalists.
They said two of the bodies were identified as police constable Riazuddin and a passer-by, Rubina.
Rubina, who died of a cardiac arrest, was travelling in a rickshaw close to the press club when the blast occurred.
Peshawar Press Club accountant Mian Iqbal Shah died at the hospital later.
Several passers-by, including those travelling in a minibus, were injured in the blast besides Peshawar Press Club employees Yasir, Ayub and Kamran. A photo journalist, Khurram Pervez, also sustained injuries in the blast.
Peshawar City Police chief Liaqat Ali Khan told reporters that the suicide attacker had tried to enter the premises. The police guard at the gate frisked the man and tried to overpower him when he discovered that the person was wearing a suicide vest, however, the bomber detonated his vest during the scuffle.
The press club employee Yasir Jamil, who was also injured in the blast, told Daily Times that the suicide bomber was trying to enter the press club when the police guard stopped him. He said the attacker had an argument with the guard, and blew himself up moments later. He said the bomber had a dark complexion and short height and seemed around 18 to 19 years of age.
Nadir Khawaja, a journalist, said he saw the guard and the bomber arguing from the opposite side of the road as he was approaching the press club.
NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain told reporters at the scene that targeting journalists was “militants’ compulsion”, as the journalists were exposing the terrorists to the public.
He said no one was safe in the country, as the terrorists were targeting mosques, graves and even funeral prayers. Hussain hoped that the journalists would become more organised after the attack and would not bow down to the terrorists.
Mourning: The Peshawar Press Club has announced a three-day mourning. “The press club was already receiving threats and warning letters – journalists here are practically working in a war zone,” Peshawar Presc Club President Shamim Shahid told AFP. manzoor ali shah/afp
Sourcedailytimes.com.pk/
Showing posts with label Pakistan security forces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan security forces. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Iran helping the Taliban, US ambassador claims
Iran has been providing weapons and other help to the Taliban, the US ambassador to Afghanistan has claimed.
Karl Eikenberry, a former commanding general in Afghanistan, said parts of the regime had transcended sectarian divisions within Islam to provide support for fundamentalist groups fighting Western forces in Afghanistan.
"Iran or elements within Iran have provided training assistance and some weapons to the Taliban," said Mr Eikenberry.
"General Petraeus has reviewed these reports and said that the scope of Iranian support is nothing on the level that was given previously by Iran to various terrorist elements in Iraq.
"Still, the reports about this kind of low-level support and periodic co-operation between elements in Iran and militant extremist Taliban are disturbing and do not show good faith by Afghanistan's neighbour to the West."
Iran's Shia Muslim regime's has long been suspicious of the extremist Sunni Taliban and Tehran co-operated with the US-led effort to overthrow the movement in 2001.
But a Western official involved in Iran policy-making said yesterday that Iranian officials were now playing both sides of the Afghan conflict to ensure that the Western-backed Kabul government remained weak.
"Afghanistan should be an area of common interest between Britain and Iran because they don't want an extremist Sunni government on their border," an official said.
"But Afghanistan, like Iraq, is in its backyard and Tehran just does not want a Western victory or a strong pro-Western government on its eastern flank. It is now playing two roles there, assisting the insurgency even as it provides aid."
Source:telegraph.co.uk
Karl Eikenberry, a former commanding general in Afghanistan, said parts of the regime had transcended sectarian divisions within Islam to provide support for fundamentalist groups fighting Western forces in Afghanistan.
"Iran or elements within Iran have provided training assistance and some weapons to the Taliban," said Mr Eikenberry.
"General Petraeus has reviewed these reports and said that the scope of Iranian support is nothing on the level that was given previously by Iran to various terrorist elements in Iraq.
"Still, the reports about this kind of low-level support and periodic co-operation between elements in Iran and militant extremist Taliban are disturbing and do not show good faith by Afghanistan's neighbour to the West."
Iran's Shia Muslim regime's has long been suspicious of the extremist Sunni Taliban and Tehran co-operated with the US-led effort to overthrow the movement in 2001.
But a Western official involved in Iran policy-making said yesterday that Iranian officials were now playing both sides of the Afghan conflict to ensure that the Western-backed Kabul government remained weak.
"Afghanistan should be an area of common interest between Britain and Iran because they don't want an extremist Sunni government on their border," an official said.
"But Afghanistan, like Iraq, is in its backyard and Tehran just does not want a Western victory or a strong pro-Western government on its eastern flank. It is now playing two roles there, assisting the insurgency even as it provides aid."
Source:telegraph.co.uk
US says Pakistan holding up visas
Pakistan has been holding up visas for US officials and contractors and continued delays could have an "impact" on the effectiveness of aid programmes in the country, the US State Department said on Thursday.
Hundreds of visa applications and renewals for US personnel have been delayed and the United States has raised the problem with Pakistan's senior leadership, deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.
"We've expressed our concern about the delays and the impact that this could very well have on our programmes and activities," Wood said, adding, "Should this continue, it indeed will have an impact."
The New York Times reported the delays were part of a campaign by Pakistan's intelligence services and military to harass US diplomats who have been pushing for the Pakistani government to intensify the fight against the Taliban in Pakistan.
Cracking down on the Taliban is seen as critical for the US effort to defeat the militant group across the border in Afghanistan, where President Barack Obama is sending an additional 30,000 troops.
The United States gives the Pakistani military millions of dollars in annual aid for counter-terrorism operations, and earlier this year Congress approved a $7.5-billion aid package over five years to help build democratic institutions and the economy in the country.
The United States is concerned some of the aid programmes "are grinding to a halt," a diplomat told the Times.
Source:hindustantimes.com/
Hundreds of visa applications and renewals for US personnel have been delayed and the United States has raised the problem with Pakistan's senior leadership, deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.
"We've expressed our concern about the delays and the impact that this could very well have on our programmes and activities," Wood said, adding, "Should this continue, it indeed will have an impact."
The New York Times reported the delays were part of a campaign by Pakistan's intelligence services and military to harass US diplomats who have been pushing for the Pakistani government to intensify the fight against the Taliban in Pakistan.
Cracking down on the Taliban is seen as critical for the US effort to defeat the militant group across the border in Afghanistan, where President Barack Obama is sending an additional 30,000 troops.
The United States gives the Pakistani military millions of dollars in annual aid for counter-terrorism operations, and earlier this year Congress approved a $7.5-billion aid package over five years to help build democratic institutions and the economy in the country.
The United States is concerned some of the aid programmes "are grinding to a halt," a diplomat told the Times.
Source:hindustantimes.com/
Pakistan security forces kill Taliban commander, 6 militants
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces said Wednesday that a Taliban commander and six militants have been killed in Waziristan tribal region.
Security forces engaged and destroyed a vehicle at Miranshah, the center of North Waziristan and militants commander Gulbadeen Mehsud was killed, the army said in a statement.
During the last 24 hours, six militants have been killed while one soldier lost his life and six others were injured, it said. The army claimed that the militants fired at a camp of security forces and damaged a mosque.
The militants also fired with small arms at security forces check post at Sararogha and Shuza areas in South Waziristan which was effectively responded and two militants were killed.
The security forces conducted search operation at different places and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition.
The militants fired rockets at a camp and killed a soldier while six others were injured while a mosque was damaged, the army statement said. The Security forces killed three militants during an encounter.
According to the army statistics, Pakistani security forces have killed more than 600 militants since they launched the ground assault on Oct. 17 in South Waziristan, advancing towards the main base of Taliban militants in Pakistan.
Source:news.xinhuanet.com/
Security forces engaged and destroyed a vehicle at Miranshah, the center of North Waziristan and militants commander Gulbadeen Mehsud was killed, the army said in a statement.
During the last 24 hours, six militants have been killed while one soldier lost his life and six others were injured, it said. The army claimed that the militants fired at a camp of security forces and damaged a mosque.
The militants also fired with small arms at security forces check post at Sararogha and Shuza areas in South Waziristan which was effectively responded and two militants were killed.
The security forces conducted search operation at different places and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition.
The militants fired rockets at a camp and killed a soldier while six others were injured while a mosque was damaged, the army statement said. The Security forces killed three militants during an encounter.
According to the army statistics, Pakistani security forces have killed more than 600 militants since they launched the ground assault on Oct. 17 in South Waziristan, advancing towards the main base of Taliban militants in Pakistan.
Source:news.xinhuanet.com/
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