36+ killed at Pakistani Funeral By Suicide Bomber
May 12, 2011 | Government
A suicide bomber killed at least 36 people at a funeral being held Wednesday by an anti-Taliban militia in the suburbs of this northwest city, police and government officials said. The Pakistani Taliban, which regularly attacks tribal militias organized to combat insurgents, claimed responsibility for the attack in the Matanai area. The location borders Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal areas, where Taliban and al-Qaeda militants have established havens.
The blast, which injured dozens, took place as hundreds of people were offering funeral prayers for the wife of one militia member, said DilawarKhan, the leader of the group. The bomber was a teenager who pretended to be attending the funeral, Pakistani media reported.
The bombing took place one day after a car bomb killed at least 25 people in the eastern city of Faisalabad. That blast was also claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, which remains capable of carrying out major attacks throughout the nation despite several military offensives against its strongholds near the Afghan border.
Khan’s tribe, the Adezai, formed a “peace committee” three years ago with government encouragement, and police say his and other similar groups in the area have helped slow violence in Peshawar.
“We are being killed, but the rulers are just paying lip service,” Khan said. “They are living in fully guarded forts and talking against militants … they should come and stay here overnight to feel the threat.”
This article was written by: Mark Muligan
