PESHAWAR: At least 15 people were killed and over 20 injured on Friday when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the building of an under-construction hospital in Pass Keley village near Hangu district.
A number of houses, the under-construction hospital and an Imambargah in the vicinity were razed to the ground.
Kohat Commissioner Khalid Omarzai said the bomber drove his explosive-laden pick up into the boundary wall of the hospital in Pass Keley. The commissioner said he could not say anything about the “quantity of the explosives used in this attack”, adding that he would be able to comment on the issue after rescue activities were complete.
Authorities had declared the village, with a majority Shia population, a sensitive area and directed the people to remain alert.
Local people considered the attack negligence on the part of government.
A local said the village people had been “receiving threats for the past several months and had informed police and civilian authorities, but nothing was done in this regard”. According to a private TV channel, banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi has claimed responsibility of the attack.
