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| India-Pakistan |
| Suicide strike targets Pakistani army, killing 27 |
| 2009-04-18 |
| A suicide car bomber attacked an army convoy at a checkpoint in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 27 people near another emerging militant stronghold within striking distance of the Afghan border. A deputy of Pakistan's top Taliban leader took responsibility for the bombing near the town of Hangu and said more would follow until the U.S. ends missile attacks into Pakistan's tribal areas. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the assault as a "cowardly act of terrorism" and said the pro-Western government would use an "iron hand" against terrorists and extremists. While militant attacks are spreading across Pakistan, the onslaught remains fiercest near the Afghan frontier, where al-Qaida fugitives — possibly including Osama bin Laden — have found sanctuary. The explosion Saturday damaged about a dozen army trucks and jeeps as well as a police station at the checkpoint, said Farid Khan, a senior police official in Hangu. At least 25 members of the security forces and two civilians died, Khan told The Associated Press by phone from a hospital near the scene. Another 62 security personnel and three civilians were wounded, including the local police chief, other officials said. Khan said the convoy was about to leave the checkpoint when the bomber exploded his vehicle. The attack was claimed by Hakeemullah Mehsud, a Taliban commander who vowed earlier this month to carry out two suicide attacks a week to press for the withdrawal of Pakistan troops from the border region and for an end to CIA missile strikes. |
| Posted by:ed |