Car Bomb in Pakistan Kills Over twenty Near a Shiite Hall
The Fresh York Times
March 31, 2017
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A powerful car bomb near a Shiite place of adore in northwestern Pakistan killed at least twenty two people and wounded at least ninety others on Friday, cracking a brief lull in militant violence in the restive region, officials said.
The bombing in Parachinar, the main town of the remote tribal region of Kurram, was claimed by Jamaat-ul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Albeit Pakistani officials did not confirm that the bombing involved a suicide attacker, Jamaat-ul Ahrar said a suicide bomber had detonated his explosives near a Shiite ceremonial hall, or imambargah, in a crowded marketplace. The bombing occurred before Friday prayers, and the marketplace was packed with people as they were leaving offices and closing shops.
Asad Mansoor, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul Ahrar, said the suicide bomber was named Seth Nazir, also known as Ab Durda, from the Mohmand tribal region.
“The explosives-laden vehicle was detonated right in front of the gate of the imambargah,” Mr. Mansoor said in a statement, adding that the site was targeted because local Shiites had been involved in attacks on Sunnis.
Mr. Mansoor said Shiites would be targeted in more deadly attacks.
Hasan Khan, a local official, said by telephone that the bomber’s car had been parked near a gate used by female worshipers.
“The car caught fire and tore into lumps,” said Muhammad Tahir, a shop possessor. “The blast caused severe harm to shops and residential quarters in the market,” he added, describing a scene of chaos and destruction. Blood and figure parts were scattered about the blast site.
Shiites have been repeatedly attacked across the country by extremist Sunni militants and the Taliban, stoking a deep sense of insecurity in Pakistan in latest years.
The Kurram tribal district borders Afghanistan, and its main town, Parachinar, has a long history of sectarian violence. The Shiite population of the town, mostly belonging to the Turi tribe, has repeatedly been attacked by Taliban militants.
Local television news networks broadcast pics of a narrow street packed with smoke as people carried the wounded and ambulances blared in the background.
Soon after the bombing, angry and bereaved residents held a protest rally. Some protesters placed the dead figures of their relatives on the road and chanted slogans against the local administration for failing to provide them with adequate security. As protesters began moving toward the offices of the local administration, police fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd, wounding at least eight people, Mr. Khan, the official, said.
Malik Ali Hassan Turi, a local tribal elder, said hundreds took part in the protest. “The security provided to us is totally inadequate,” Mr. Turi said. “The health facilities are also pathetic,” he said. “The local hospital cannot cope with such tragedies and lacks decent facilities.”
A doctor at the main hospital in Parachinar, Sabir Hussain, told local media that seventy people were being treated in Parachinar while twenty four were sent to hospitals in Peshawar.
The Pakistani military sent two helicopters to evacuate the wounded to a hospital in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the bombing and vowed to defeat the militants. “The network of terrorists has already been violated, and it is our national duty to proceed this war until the finish annihilation of the scourge of terrorism from our soil,” Mr. Sharif said in a statement.
Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud contributed reporting from Islamabad, and Ismail Khan from Peshawar.