14 dead, dozens hurt in Pakistan terror attack

At least 14 people were killed and more than 30 people, including lawyers and policemen, sustained injuries after two back to back powerful explosions hit the district court in Pakistan’s Mardan district on Friday. The blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres to the west of Mardan.

The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade then detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, officials said.

Army soldiers and policemen cordoned off the area while Rescue 1122 teams moved the injured persons to district headquarter hospital and Mardan medical complex. The dead included at least two policemen as well as lawyers and clerks. The bomber had up to eight kilograms of explosives packed into his vest.

Earlier on Friday, four suicide bombers were killed in “prompt response” by the security forces in Peshawar’s Christian Colony near Warsak Road.

Soldiers backed by Army helicopters exchanged gunfire with terrorists in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on district court in Mardan on Friday and said that terrorists shall not get space to hide in Pakistan.

In his message, the Prime Minister said these receding elements are showing frustration by attacking soft targets.

He said these cowardly attacks cannot shake our unflinching resolve in war against terrorism.

The Prime Minister expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace for the departed souls and grant of courage to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif lauded the security forces for successfully foiling the terrorist attack in Peshawar’s Chritstian Colony.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ur-Ahrar on Friday claimed responsibility for the twin bombs at a court that killed at least 14 people in the country’s northwest, just hours after another attack by the group in the same region killed two others. The group’s spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, promised more attacks in a statement sent to Reuters. “We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations,” he said.

The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups and soft targets such as courts and schools.