Lahore Suicide Bomber Kills 22 In Pakistan

January 10, 2008

If this is your first time visiting National Terror Alert you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. The National terror Alert feed features breaking news, alerts and bulletins on demand and it's free of charge..
You will only see this message on your first visit to the site. Thanks for visiting!

Lahore: The suicide bomb attack that killed 22 people today is a bloody reminder that Pakistan is fast becoming the main battlefield of Islamic militants.

The country is already gripped by extreme political tension after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto two weeks ago, and today’s atrocity — the latest in a string of attacks on politicians and security officials — will increase concerns about the fate of national elections due on February 18. The poll has already been rescheduled once because of Ms Bhutto’s murder.

The bomber blew himself up among police deployed outside the High Court ahead of a planned anti-government protest by lawyers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but security officials suspect that militants linked to the Taleban and al-Qaeda could be behind the attack.

Police suspect that the group that masterminded the attack on Ms Bhutto might also be linked to the Lahore bombing.
Related Links

* 22 dead in Pakistan suicide bomb attack

Scotland Yard investigators are in Lahore today, visiting forensic laboratories to examine evidence connected to Ms Bhutto’s murder in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.

She and about 20 others were killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack after she had addressed an election rally. The assassination of Pakistan’s most popular leader and twice prime minister led to widespread violent protests that left dozens more dead and forced a six-week postponement in the elections.

Nisar Memon, the Pakistani Minister for Information, said that today’s violence would not affect the election schedule. However, officials fear more violence in the run up to the elections, crucial for Pakistan’s long-awaited return to democracy after nine years of military rule.

There has been a steep rise in terrorist violence since the army stepped up its operations against the Islamic militants seeking to establish Taleban-style conservative Islamic rule in the troubled northern border region.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.