Shrine blast leaves 4 dead in Southern Pakistan

English: Location of Sindh in Pakistan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least four Sunni Muslims were killed and over 15 others injured as a bomb went off in a shrine in Pakistan's southern district of Shikarpur on Monday night, local media reported.

Geo TV said the sectarian blast targeting the Sunni Muslims occurred when over 50 people were gathering in a congregation hall of the shrine for religious ritual.

Some unknown militants left an explosive laden bag inside the shrine and later exploded it by a remote control, said the report.

The injured people were shifted to Civil Hospital Shikarpur where several of them were in critical conditions.

Walls and roof of the shrine were partially destroyed in the blast in Shikarpur, a main district in the country's southern Sindh province.

The blast was followed by a protest by Sunni Muslims in the district.

Sahabzada Fazal Karim, the leader of the country's prominent Sunni group, "Sunni Itehad Council", condemned the blast and asked his followers to remain calm.

He also demanded government to arrest those responsible for the attack.

No group so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police cordoned off the area and a probe into the incident has been started.

from XINHUA
 2013-02-26 02:02:45

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Arrested ‘TTP militant’ warns of Muharram attacks

KARACHI: Four suicide bombers are ready to carry out attacks at Muharram processions in Karachi, a suspected militant has told intelligence officials during interrogation.

Akhtar Mehsud, an alleged member of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was arrested in a raid in Kunwari Colony of Manghopir. A suicide jacket, one walkie-talkie set, a few cameras, computers, hand grenades and weapons were also seized in the operation, police sources told The Express Tribune.

During interrogation, the suspect warned of attacks during the first 10 days of Muharram, claiming that four suicide bombers are already present in Karachi. Rickshaws and motorcycles are expected to be used to launch attacks, especially between Muharram 8 and Muharram 10.

Akhtar Mehsud was allegedly involved in attacks on security forces in the tribal areas. He is also being questioned about his group’s link to the blast at the Rangers residential complex in North Nazimabad that killed three Rangers and wounded several others. A few accomplices of the suspect were also arrested later.

SHO Nasir Mehmood neither confirmed nor denied the arrest. “Nothing can be said about this at the moment,” he said.

‘Target killers’ arrested

The Crime Investigation Department’s Anti-Extremist Cell (AEC) claims to have arrested an alleged target killer associated with an “ethnic group” of Sindh.

Asghar Ali was arrested from Shershah in a raid, AEC officials said. A hand grenade and a TT pistol were also seized from the suspect.

During interrogation, Asghar Ali confessed his involvement in the targeted killings of six people, including a Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker, in Karachi.

Another suspected target killer was detained in a raid in the Surjani area. The accused identified as Zafar, according to police, was involved in targeted killings of at least six political activists.

Rangers also detained at least two political workers from Liaquatabad for their alleged involvement in targeted killings across Karachi. They were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.

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British girl kidnapped in Lahore, Pakistan

English: Location of Lahore, in Punjab. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A British girl of Pakistani origin was kidnapped in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, said local police on Sunday night.

Police sources said that the kidnapped was a 20-year-old girl named Aisha Ali. She came to Lahore to attend a wedding ceremony and was kidnapped at the Liberty Market area in the city.

The abductee came to Lahore a couple of days ago after she stayed with her relatives in Kashmir, said police.

However, the police failed to mention when the kidnapping happened. The police have filed a report about the case. Other details about the incident are not immediately available.

Sunday's report about the kidnapped British girl is the fourth of its kind in the country since this year. In January this year, three cases about kidnapping foreigners were reported in the country.

On January 5, a British national of Yemeni origin working for International Committee of the Red Cross Pakistan was kidnapped by Pakistan Taliban and his body was later found in the city on April 29.

On January 20, a German aged 70 and an Italian aged 24 were abducted in Pakistan's central city of Multan. They were working for a NGO for the help of the flood-affected people in Punjab province. There is no news about their whereabouts now.

Two days after, a Kenyan working for an international charity organization "Care International" was kidnapped in the country's southern Sindh province while he was helping the flood-hit people there. His whereabouts is also not known until now.

Foreigners in Pakistan are often targeted by kidnappers for ransom. Few of the abductees can survive after being kidnapped.

from XINHUA
English.news.cn   2012-09-10 03:08:10

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