PAKISTAN: A blast in the northwestern city of Peshawar kills at least two people and wounds 20 at police station

Record ID: 359305

  • Title: PAKISTAN: A blast in the northwestern city of Peshawar kills at least two people and wounds 20 at police station
  • Date: 26th May 2011
  • Summary: MAN PULLING MATERIAL ON FIRE SMOKE RISING/ RESCUE AND SECURITY WORKERS AT BLAST SITE VARIOUS OF RESCUE WORKERS AT BLAST SITE SHATTERED WINDOW OF GROCERY STORE SHATTERED GLASS DAMAGED CAR FORKLIFT MOVING DAMAGED CAR PEOPLE AND RESCUE WORKERS AT SITE PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE LADY READING HOSPITAL NURSE STANDING NEXT TO INJURED MAN INJURED MAN LYING ON HOSPITAL BED
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA45ZM3AV37JCVYZUUEU4V9PP76
  • Story Text: Suspected militants drove a car packed with explosives into a police station in the Pakistani town of Peshawar on Wednesday (May 25), killing two policemen and wounding 20 people, the latest attack since Osama bin laden was killed this month.
    The police station, where the office of the Criminal Investigation Department which also investigates militancy is located, was destroyed in the blast, a Reuters witness said.
    "We were going for a walk early in the morning. When we came close to the police station, there was an explosion. I had a child with me who got injured. People told us there had been an explosion and we should not go forward. So we returned from there," one eyewitness, Iqbal Khan said.
    Residents said the explosion rattled windows throughout town. Television showed police and soldiers cordoning off the affected district.
    Provincial minister, Bashir Bolour said the explosion was big.
    "Explosives of about 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) were used. It was a really big explosion," he said.
    At least two policemen were killed and 20 were wounded in the dawn attack, police said.
    Another police officer said about 20 policemen were present in the building when the explosion happened.
    Police said at least four of the wounded were recovered from the rubble.
    The bombing comes two days after a brazen raid on a heavily guarded Pakistani naval base in the southern city of Karachi in which 10 military personnel were killed and two aircraft destroyed. The Pakistani Taliban said they staged that assault to avenge the death of al Qaeda leader bin Laden.
    Wednesday's attack in Peshawar occurred about 1 km (half a mile) from the U.S. consulate and in the same district where a car bomb exploded last week as a U.S. consulate convoy passed by. One man was killed and about a dozen people were wounded, including two U.S. nationals.
    Peshawar is the gateway to Pakistan's turbulent northwest region believed to have become a hub of al Qaeda and Taliban militants.
    The Pakistani Taliban also claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.S. convoy, the first attack on foreigners since a U.S. commando team killed bin Laden early this month.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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