11 killed,36 injured in Peshawar market blast

A suicide bomber struck a crowded market on the outskirts of Peshawar killed at least 11 persons,including an anti-Taliban Mayor believed to be the target of the attack,and injured 36.

A suicide bomber struck a crowded market on the outskirts of Peshawar on Sunday killing at least 11 persons,including an anti-Taliban Mayor believed to be the target of the attack,and injuring 36,nearly two weeks after a massive car bombing in the northwestern Pakistani city left 118 people dead.

Among the 11 killed were Abdul Malik,a ‘nazim’ or Mayor who was spearheading efforts against the Taliban,a young girl and the head of a ‘lashkar’ or tribal militia,officials said.

They said Malik’s son was among the 36 people injured in the attack,the latest in a series of devastating terror strikes across the country.

The bomber struck shortly after 9.30 am local time,when the market was packed with people shopping for sacrificial animals ahead of the Eid-ud-Zuha festival. The injured were taken to hospital in private cars and ambulances.

Officials at Lady Reading Hospital,Peshawar’s main healthcare facility,said nine of the injured were in a serious condition.

Police said Malik was the target of the suicide attack at the cattle market in Mattani,a suburb of Peshawar.

Malik,who survived at least five previous attempts on his life,was once considered to be close to the Taliban but later turned against the militants.

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Witnesses said the bomber,a youth aged between 22 and 24 years,detonated his explosives as soon as Malik emerged from his car.

The attacker had come to the market in a bus from a nearby Taliban-dominated tribal area,the witnesses said.

The bomber’s suicide jacket was packed with about 10 kg of explosives and pellets,police said.

Eight cars and several shops were also destroyed by the blast.

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No group claimed responsibility for the attack though officials pointed the finger of blame at the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Police cordoned off the market and collected the bomber’s body parts while bomb disposal experts scoured the site for clues.

Police said nazim Malik was attacked as he had formed a ‘lashkar’ or tribal militia that opposed attempts by the Taliban to extend their influence to Adezai area in Mattani.

In the past,his home had been targeted with rockets and mortars by militants.

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Officials said policemen had been deputed to guard Malik and he was given a special permit to carry weapons after he received threats from the Taliban. However,Malik left his home this morning without his police guards.

Peshawar,the capital of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has witnessed several deadly suicide attacks and bombings over the past few weeks.

A total of 118 people were killed when a car bomb packed with 150 kg of explosives ripped through a bustling commercial hub,including a market meant exclusively for women,in the city on October 28,one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned today’s attack and said the government will continue its efforts to wipe out extremists and terrorists.

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In separate messages,the two leaders expressed their resolve not to be deterred by such acts of violence.