14 Killed In Attack On PAF Vehicle

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 10:28 am

PESHAWAR :At least 14 people including 9 officials of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were reportedly killed and 10 others injured in a bomb attack on a truck of the force here on Kohat Road near renowned Badbair Air Base here on Tuesday. The explosive was reportedly planted under a bridge near the General Bus Stand (GBS) for the northern districts of the restive Frontier province.

The blast occurred when the vehicle was passing over it. However, it was not clear whether a roadside bomb or a suicide attack caused the blast. The identity of those killed could be ascertained, but majority of them was stated to the personnel of the air force included airmen and some civilian officials.

According to eye-witnesses, the blast was so powerful that it uprooted the nearby electricity poles and created a 16-foot wide crater on the bridge. The explosion also hit some cars and motorcycles. The PAF bus was completely gutted and was presenting the only structure of the vehicle while fire brigades dousing the flames that continued to burn long after the blast.

The Kohat road is travelled heavy by armed forces and paramilitary personnel. The NWFP police chief has said that the attack may be reaction to the ongoing military operation against militants in Swat and tribal belt. There was no claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants based on the Afghan border have been blamed for a series of attacks on security forces over the past year. The injured were rushed to hospitals in Peshawar by the police and people in their vehicles. Four of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

“Eleven bodies were brought to the hospital while two of the victims succumbed to their injuries,” Lady Reading Hospital medical officer Khizar Hayat said. Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Security forces sealed off the site of the blast soon after the attack and investigators began scouring the area. Officials said up to 30 to 40 kg of explosives could have been used in the attack.

Air force spokesman Air Cmdr Humayun Waqar Zephyr has reportedly confirmed the attack but said he had no details. The bombing follows threats from Taliban militants to launch attacks on the government for military operations in the north-western Frontier region bordering Afghanistan.

14 Killed In Attack On PAF Vehicle

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