Four die in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan tribal region

Image
Press Trust of India Islamabad
Last Updated : Apr 20 2013 | 4:05 PM IST
A woman suicide bomber today detonated a bomb outside a hospital in a lawless tribal area of northwest Pakistan, killing at least four people and injuring five others.
The blast occurred outside the main gate of the hospital in Bajaur tribal area bordering Afghanistan, senior official Asad Sarwar said.
Assistant Political Agent of the area confirmed that it was a suicide attack.
"The suicide attacker was a woman who detonated the bomb outside the main gate of the hospital," he said.
Hospital sources confirmed that four people died and five others were injured.
They said that an employee of hospital was among those killed.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attcak.
However, authorities blame such attacks on the Taliban.
Bajaur, one of seven districts that make up Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), had been a stronghold of the Taliban until 2008.
However, the security forces cleared the region of Taliban militants as the result of major offensives.
Many security men and militants had been killed in the 2008-09 operations and some Taliban leaders had fled to neighbouring Afghanistan, officials say.
Afghan authorities arrested a senior Pakistani Taliban leader, Maulvi Faqir, in February, who is wanted to Pakistan for attacks on the security forces.
Faqir, who belongs to Bajaur, had been the deputy chief of the Taliban.
Afghan government has refused to hand over Faqir to Pakistan on the plea that the two countries have no extradition treaty.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 20 2013 | 4:05 PM IST

Next Story