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Taliban claims responsibility for suicide attack in NW Pakistan

07 November 2011 18:44 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack which killed three people and injured eight others in Pakistan’s northwest district of Swabi on Monday morning, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

A former local official who supported the security forces in the fight against the Taliban was targeted in the attack.

Hanif Jadoon, a former major in the Swabi area, came under attack while on the way back from a morning prayer at a mosque in the Malikbad area of Swabi in his Toyota Prado.

Hanif Jadoon’s son and his bodyguard were also killed in the attack.

Police said that the suicide bomber used an estimated eight kilograms of explosives in the attack.

A Taliban spokesman Sirajuddin claimed responsibility for the attack and said Hanif Jadoon was targeted as he had cooperated with the security forces in the killing of a Taliban local commander last year.

Jadoon belonged to the provincial ruling Awami National Party (ANP) which supports the security forces’ operation against the Taliban.

Taliban have also targeted leaders, their relatives and supporters of the ANP in the past for their support to the security forces.

The central ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan condemned the attack and said that his party would continue support to the forces against the militants. Khan said that such attacks cannot deter the ANP from its stand against the Taliban militants.

Monday’s attack in Swabi came at a time when all the Muslims across the country are celebrating a three-day Eid holiday with their family members, relatives and friends.