MARDAN, Pakistan: In another suicide attack which targeted legal community for the second time within a month, at least 17 persons including lawyers and security personnel were killed a when suicide bomber blew himself up outside the entrance of Mardan’s district and sessions court on Friday.
The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group Jamaatul Ahrar admitted to be involved in Mardan blast.
Talking to media, the District Police Officer (DPO) Mardan Faisal Shahzad said that a suicide bomber first threw hand grenade towards entrance gate of Mardan’s district and sessions court that was manned by policemen. Then, the DPO added, the suicide bomber ran forward and detonated his vest carrying eight kilograms of explosive material in the middle of a gathering of lawyers present on scene.
Resultantly, at least 17 persons including one policeman Junaid Khan and two lawyers were killed while 44 others sustained injuries who were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Mardan and Mardan Medical Complex for medical treatment.
The Pakistan Bar Council announced to observe countrywide strike tomorrow (Saturday) in protest against Mardan attack.
This was the second fatal attack on lawyer’s community in Pakistan during the last one month as on August 9, a suicide blast ripped through the emergency ward of Civil Hospital in Quetta, leaving more than 80 lawyers dead.
President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Awami, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khatak, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan, Awami National Party (ANP) Cheif Asfand Yar Wali in their separate statements condemned the brutal attack in Mardan, calling it an action to harass society by insane people.
Earlier in the morning, the security forces foiled a terrorist attack in Peshawar’s Christian Colony after they killed four suicide bombers equipped with arms and ammunition in a gun battle.
However, two Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers, a police constable and two civilian guards were also martyred in the exchange of fire with terrorists
It may be mentioned that Pakistan is fighting terrorism that cost killing of over 60,000 innocent citizens during the last six years. Pakistan Army waged an action namely Operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014 against terrorists in tribal areas where extremists had been living since Afghan-Russo war. Pakistan was a front line country and breeding ground for Jihadis coming from all over the world to wage Jihad against former Soviet Union in early 80s. Jihadis never went back to their countries and promoted extremist Islam in Pakistan and then launched war against Pakistan Army to take over Pakistan for making this country a Jihadi land.
