Police said on Wednesday that Osama Bin LadenÂ’s Al-Qaeda network and the Taliban are likely linked to the suicide attack near President Pervez MusharrafÂ’s army office that killed seven people, AFP reported.TuesdayÂ’s blast in the garrison town of Rawalpindi might also be a reaction to an ongoing government crackdown on militants in northwest Pakistan and a raid on the hardline Lal Masjid in July, the city police chief said.
“Taliban and Al Qaeda elements are there. Most probably they could be instrumental in this attack,” Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz said.
“This could also have links with Lal Masjid, the situation in Swat and the tribal areas. We have strong suspicions on all three factors,” Aziz said. “We have launched a search of Afghan-dominated areas [in Rawalpindi and nearby Islamabad] and teams are monitoring their neighbourhoods,” he added.
Aziz said police had found the disfigured head of the bomber, who is believed to be about 23 years old and who blew himself up when police stopped him at a checkpost guarding a high security area.
Staff report adds: “A plastic surgeon has reconstructed the face of the bomber. Police also found three of his fingers and have sent them to the national registration office for identification,” he said. Police were also carrying out DNA tests on the attacker’s remains.