Suicide bomber kills Pak tribal leader and four others

Rezaul H Laskar
Peshawar, Apr 4 (PTI) A suicide bomber struck at a bus
terminal in Lower Dir area of northwest Pakistan killing at
least five persons including a tribal leader, who was the
target, and injuring over 20 others, police said.
The blast occurred at around noon Monday at the
terminal in Jandol Munda area of Lower Dir district of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The attack targeted tribal elder Malik Sufi Muhammad
Akbar, who was among the dead, district police chief Salim
Marwat told reporters.
The suicide bomber came to the bus terminal on foot
and detonated his explosive vest in the parking lot, Marwat
said.
An emergency was declared in nearby hospitals.
Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a
search operation.
Officials said they feared the death toll could rise
as some of the injured were in a critical condition.
No group claimed responsibility for the blast.
Such attacks are usually blamed on Taliban fighters
who are active in the region located near the restive Bajaur
tribal agency.
The bus terminal is located near a key road that links
Bajaur Agency to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's capital Peshawar and
other parts of the province.