MINGORA, Pakistan — An apparent suicide bombing near a bus terminal in Pakistan’s Swat Valley killed five people and wounded at least 58 yesterday, officials said, a sign that Islamist militants remain active in the region despite a massive army operation.Reported By A Pakistan times.
The explosion went off around noon in Mingora, the main town in the onetime tourist haven that was largely overrun by Taliban militants in 2007.
Pakistani TV footage showed vehicles bent and twisted from the force of the blast. Some men were desperately trying to open the doors of a car to reach a woman and man sitting in the front who were bloodied and appeared unconscious.
The area hit was crowded, so the death toll could rise significantly. Senior police official Qazi Ghulam Farooq said five people died, including two women, and that officials believed a suicide bomber was involved.
At least 58 people were wounded, he said.
The Pakistan military launched its biggest operation against the Taliban in Swat in 2009 after a failed attempt at a peace deal that included pledges to impose Islamic law in the area.
In recent weeks, several major suicide attacks have shaken Pakistan. Last week, a pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up in the Mohmand tribal region, killing at least 102 people in the deadliest attack in the US-allied nation this year.
The attacks come as Washington is pushing Pakistan to do even more to root out militant groups.
Sources:www.boston.com
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