14 killed in suicide car bomb in NW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Sept.6, 2010 (Xinhua) --

At least 14 people were killed and over 40 injured in a suicide car bomb attack at a police station early Monday morning in Lakki Marwat in Pakistan's northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said hospital sources.

According to the hospital sources, more than 40 people also sustained injuries in the blast and some of them were in serious condition.

Most of the killed were policemen, said local media reports.

According to the reports, early monday morning an explosive- laden vehicle rammed into the rear wall of a police station in the afore-said city, which reportedly was housing an estimated 40 to 50 policemen inside at the time.

The attacker chose the rear wall of the police station as the target due to the fact that the front and side walls of the police station were heavily guarded, police sources said, adding that they have cordoned off the blast area and a search operation has been launched in the nearby area.

Most of the injured people have been rushed to nearby hospitals and some of the injured who were buried inside the damaged buildings are being pulled out of the debris of the damaged buildings, said rescue workers.

Today's incident coincided with the Defense Day of Pakistan, which is designed to celebrate the victory of Pakistan over India in 1965 war.

Monday's suicide blast is the third most serious of its kind that occurred in Pakistan since the beginning of this month.

6 killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Sept.4, 2010 (Xinhua) --

At least six people were killed and two others injured in a U.S.drone strike launched Saturday night in Pakistan's northwest tribal area, reported local media.

According to the report, the strike took place at about 7:00 p. m. in the Data Khel area of North Waziristan, a tribal agency in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. At least two missiles were fired at a house in the area.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that more casualties are expected as many people were gathering inside the house for breaking the fast while it was attacked by the missiles.

This is the second time that the area has been stricken by the U.S. drones over the last two days. On Friday night, the U.S. drone also launched a strike in the afore-said area and its neighboring areas in North Waziristan, killing 14 people including children and women and injuring some others.

U.S. drone strikes are intended to kill the militants hiding in the deep mountainous areas along the Pakistan-Afghan border, but many innocent people were also mistakenly killed in such strikes. There are reports saying that the ratio of civilians killed against the militants in such strikes stands at 25:1.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

73 killed in suicide bombing in Pakistan

BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2010 (Xinhuanet) --

At least 73 people were killed and over 160 others injured when a suicide bomb blast hit Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta. The local radical group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for Friday's attack.

Police in Quetta say a 22-year-old man carrying an estimated 15 kilograms of explosives, blew himself up among a crowd of people who were rallying in support of the Palestinians.

The rally drew an estimated 2,500 participants, mainly Shiite Muslims.

Witnesses say the blast sent panic throughout the crowd, creating a severe stampede.

Pakistan's prime minister Syed Yousuf Gilani strongly condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, a local Shiite organization announced a 40-day period of mourning in Quetta.

The banned Sunni radical group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi later claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group had earlier claimed responsibility for two suicide bombing attacks on a Shiite mourning procession in Lahore, on Wednesday night. The blasts killed 37 people and injured over 200 others.

A spokesman for the group said that the attacks were in revenge for the killing of their leaders by Shiite Muslims and threatened more attacks against Shiites.

 (Source: CNTV.cn)

Editor: Zhang Xiang