PESHAWAR – At least 10 people, including two policemen, were killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide attack near the Motorway Interchange in Swabi on Wednesday. The attack took place a shortly before the arrival of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman for a public gathering.
The injured were admitted to hospitals in Peshawar and Swabi and several were stated to be in serious condition. District Police Officer Ijaz Khan Mohmand told Pakistan Today that a suicide bomber had blown himself up at the police checkpost on the main Swabi Road at Anbar. “At the moment, it is difficult to ascertain the target of the suicide attack”, he said, adding that police would be in a better position to say something about the target after investigations were finished.
Police Inspector Sher Afsar Khan said the explosion took place a mere 150 yards or so from Fazlur Rehman, who had arrived and was shaking hands with his party workers and members. Eyewitnesses said Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Sardar Ali Khan had made an attempt to stop the suicide bomber who was heading straight towards the crowd on a motorbike, but the bomber detonated his explosives, killing Sardar and another policeman on the spot.
The injured as well as the bodies of those killed were taken to the Shah Mansoor Medical Complex and Swabi District Headquarter Hospital as high-ranking civil and police authorities rushed to the scene to supervise rescue activities. At least four people whose condition was stated to be critical were sent to Peshawar. Officials said that almost all of those killed and injured in the attack belonged to the scattered villages of Swabi district and were associated with the JUI-F.
Fazl, along with former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and party leaders, also supervised rescue activities and was later accompanied by aides to the venue of the scheduled public meeting, where he addressed party workers.
