South Asia News

Suicide car bomb hits Pakistan police station, kills 17 (Roundup)

Sep 6, 2010, 11:04 GMT

Security officials inspect the scene of a suicide bomb attack targeting the police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on 06 September 2010. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN

Islamabad - A suicide bomber on Monday rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a police station in Pakistan's north-western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, killing 17 people and injuring dozens more, police said.

The bombing, in Lakki Marwat district near the restive tribal region, demolished part of the police station and destroyed a nearby school van.

'Seventeen people have been killed in the attack. Among them are eight civilians, including four school girls, and nine policemen,' said Khalid Khan, an official at the city's central police control room. 'Forty-six, including 23 policemen, are injured.'

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the Lakky Marwat attack and ordered authorities to launch an immediate inquiry into the attack, according to the state-run APP newswire.

Television footage showed rescue workers sifting through rubble to find survivors or dead bodies.

'When the bombing took place more than 40 policemen were inside the building,' Khan said. Most of the victims were killed by the collapsing roof.

The bomber drove into the rear wall of the station, district police chief Gul Wali Khan said. Several nearby buildings were also damaged by the explosion, which left a large crater in the ground.

It was the third suicide attack in a week in the country. More than 100 people died and over 400 were injured in bombings in eastern city of Lahore and south-western town of Quetta.

The Taliban took the responsibility for both bombings and threatened to carry out more.

The bombings ended a brief lull in the violence since recent floods devastated large areas in Pakistan, killing 1,700 and affecting more than 17 million.

The Taliban have also threatened to attack the international aid workers helping the flood victims.