At least 24 people were killed in a suspected suicide strike in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, the second attack on the country?s police in two days and just hours after the embattled government authorised use of “all means” to wipe out militants.
At least 56 people were injured as well in the attack near a police station in Pakistan?s Hangu town, just a day after nine people were killed a similar attack in Peshawar that targetted the cops in apparent retaliation to the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden earlier this month.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet but it appeared to be the latest in the series of strikes by the Pakistani Taliban, which includes an audacious 18-hour siege of a naval base that left 14 dead, citing bin Laden?s killing within the country by U.S. commandos on May 2.
Thursday?s explosion targeted government buildings, including the district commissioner’s office, Hangu, a rough area that borders Pakistan?s lawless tribal regions near Afghanistan — a haven for militants.
Police said a suicide bomber appeared to have blown up his car at a checkpoint close to the police station resulting in most of the deaths being that of cops. Casualties could rise, an officer said.
The attack came within hours of an announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani where he said that country would use ?all appropriate means? to crackdown on the militants behind the spree of humiliating attacks.
Over a hundred people have died in militant strikes in Pakistan since bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad that seriously undermined the country?s relations with U.S. and sparked fears of retaliation by the Taliban.