Bomb attack targets Pakistan police

08/09/2010| IslamWeb

At least 18 people have been killed and more than 56 injured in a car bomb attack targeting a police headquarters in Pakistan's northwestern city of Kohat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Tuesday's attack came hours after the Taliban threatened more attacks on a government and security forces already overwhelmed by the worst flooding in Pakistani history.

A number of houses collapsed from the force of the blast and rescuers sought to dig out their occupants.

"Most of the victims were women and children, and 10 houses were badly damaged," Khalid Khan, a top administrative official in Kohat, told AFP news agency.

Police official Dilawar Khan Bangash said the bomber drove a car laden with about 300 kg of explosives into the gates of the complex as people were breaking their fast, and the blast brought down several houses and damaged nearby buildings.

He said several people were in critical condition and the death toll could rise.

Shortly afterwards, a police patrol hit a roadside bomb in the nearby town of Hangu, and several policemen were wounded.

A Taliban spokesman on Tuesday threatened more attacks on security forces and government offices in response to US drone aircraft strikes on its members in tribal areas.

"Americans are carrying out drone attacks with the permission of Pakistan and we will take revenge with suicide attacks on security forces, police and government offices," Taliban spokesman Azim Tariq told Reuters news agency by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"Drone attacks have killed dozens of innocent women and children but America has never expressed its regret."

Nineteen people, including policemen and children, were killed in a suicide bombing at a police station in the northwestern town of Lakki Marwat on Monday.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of Pakistan locating Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province

Al-Jazeera