IRNA -- At least 11 persons, including women and children, were killed in a car bomb blast in the Pakistani northwestern city of Peshawar on Saturday, a senior official said. Witnesses said the car was parked outside a net café at Kakshal, a busy area in the interior city. Hospital sources said that around 40 people were also injured who were taken to the city's main Lady Reading Hospital.| "We love death more than we love life, especially when we can create involuntary martyrs." |
| Oh, oh, who could it be? Let's run the list of usual suspects ... Lutherans? .. no .. Lapplanders? .. no .. snake-handling Anabaptists? .. no .. Samoans? .. no ... |
An injured man Amir Shad said that he heard the blast when he was returning from mosque after offering prayers.
"I did not know where the blast has happened. But shortly I saw smoke in the air. I saw the people started running," he said.
A local police officer said that the blast took place at 1:30 p.m. He said many people had gone for prayers otherwise the casualties would be high. Witnesses said that they heard heavy firing after the blast but it was not who opened the fire. Around seven cars were also destroyed and widow glasses of shops and buildings were also smashed in the blast. The area is famous of car workshop.
Locals said that a banned group had given threats to the net café to stop the business and it is believed that the café might be the real target. Witnesses said that a bus of school children was passing through the area when the blast happened. They said that several people were also seen fleeing the site after the blast.
President Asif Ali Zardari and PrimeMinister strongly condemned the bomb blast in a residential area in Peshawar and resolved to continue struggle against extremists and terrorists. President Zardari in message from Paris directed the provincial government to make best possible arrangements to look after the injured. He also directed that the matter be investigated and report be submitted to him. He expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the loss of life and said the government would not be deterred by such heinous acts.