Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Pakistan bombing kills 23, may be tied to Al Qaeda arrests

Pakistani Taliban claim they did it
Police are investigating whether a twin suicide bomb attack on the home of a top paramilitary official that killed at least 23 people in the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday is linked to the recent arrest of three top Al Qaeda operatives in the city.

Brigadier Farrukh Shahzad, deputy head of the Frontier Corps paramilitary force for Baluchistan province, survived the morning attack but his wife was killed, Quetta police officials said. More than 50 people were injured in the blasts.

The attack began when a suicide bomber in a sports utility vehicle packed with explosives rammed his car into a convoy of Frontier Corps officers outside Shahzad's house, triggering a massive explosion, police said. Moments later, a second attacker rushed into Shahzad's house, hurling grenades inside before detonating his suicide bomb vest.

Shahzad was seriously injured in the attack, police said. Several senior Frontier Corps officers were killed or injured. Police identified the suicide bomber on foot as Ahmad Gul, a 21-year-old Afghan refugee living in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. His identification card was found amid severed body parts found at the blast site.
Related:
Pakistan Arrests al Qaeda Leader Planning US/Europe Attacks

[Cross Post]

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