Khaleej Times

Taleban bomber kills 11 soldiers in Swat

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peshawar — A Taleban suicide bomber managed to enter the restricted area of the armed forces’ unit and blew himself up near the troops playing volleyball, killing 11 soldiers and wounding 13 others, in the first big attack after 2013 in the northweste­rn Swat Valley.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistan Army’s media wing, said the attacker on Saturday targeted the sports area of the armed forces’ unit and those killed include seven soldiers who were critically injured in the attack. A captain of the Pakistan Army was among the dead.

Thirteen people were injured in the blast in Swat district’s Kabal Tehsil. The injured persons were taken to Saidu Teaching Hospital in Mingora in Swat, it added.

Citing the army officials in Swat, The News said that the soldiers were playing a volleyball match outside their base camp in Kabal on Saturday evening when a young suicide bomber managed to enter the restricted area and blew himself up near the soldiers.

The Afghanista­n-based Taleban immediatel­y claimed responsibi­lity for the attack, the paper said.

Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan spokesman Mohammed Khurasani claimed they had sent a young suicide bomber, Siddiqulla­h, to carry out the suicide attack on the military camp in Swat. The forces have cordoned off the area and started a search operation.

The Taleban also warned of more attacks in near future.

The last deadly Taleban attack in Swat Valley dates back to January 2013, when the militants struck a religious centre and killed 21 worshipper­s and injured 70 others.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi strongly condemned the attack, saying the coward terrorist enemy is no match for the valiant sons of the soil.

“No cowardly attack can deter us in pursuing our struggle against the menace of terrorism to its logical conclusion. We will continue our fight till the last trace is rooted out,” the prime minister said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan also condemned the attack. — PTI

 ?? AFP ?? Army soldiers shift a coffin of Captain Jazib before funeral prayers in Kohat on Sunday. —
AFP Army soldiers shift a coffin of Captain Jazib before funeral prayers in Kohat on Sunday. —

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