Taliban bombing kills 6, wounds 90

Monday, November 26, 2012

— A bombing claimed by the Taliban killed at least six people and wounded some 90 others at a Shiite religious procession in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, police said, as the minority Muslim sect observes the annual Ashoura holiday.

Since Wednesday, at least 31 have been killed in bombings aimed at Pakistani Shiites and claimed by the Taliban, who espouse an extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam. Over 100 were wounded in the attacks during the run-up to the holiday, which commemorates the seventh-century death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. The schism between Sunnis and Shiites dates back to that time.

Sunday’s explosion went off as hundreds of Shiites were passing through the main intersection of the city of Dera Ismail Khan, police said, where food and water stalls were set up to serve the crowd. An initial investigation suggested a bomb was planted near a shop along the procession route.

“The bomb contained about eight kilograms of explosives and steel balls, and was detonated with a remote control device,” city police chief Sohail Khalid said.

Several of the injured were in serious condition, said Dr. Faridullah Mahsud, an official at the city’s hospital, who added that three members of a paramilitary unit providing security for the procession were amongthe injured. Dr. Khalid Aziz, the top official at the hospital, put the death toll at six.

The Pakistani Taliban frequently attack Shiites, whom they consider heretics. Ashoura ceremonies are prime targets, becausethey draw large crowds that march in processions to mourn the martyred Imam Hussein.

Qais Abbas, a Shiite survivor, said one of his relatives was in critical condition, but that he and others were moving the wounded to other hospitals that were better equipped.

“Here we are not getting proper care for them. There are not enough doctors or medicines,” he said.

After the blast, thousands of Shiite mourners staged a sit-in at a nearby intersection, refusing to move unless assured quick and stern action against the perpetrators. The procession had been attacked for two consecutive days.

A similar bombing killed seven and injured 30 from the group a day earlier, and Ashoura observers were attacked elsewhere in the country last week.

On Wednesday night, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a Shiite procession in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital, Islamabad, killing 17. Earlier that same day, the Taliban set off two bombs outside a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Karachi, killing one person and wounding 15 others.

The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for all the attacks, with spokesman Ehasanullah Ehsan saying by telephone Sunday that the group will not relent and “looks forward to more ahead.”

Authorities have deployed thousands of additional police across the country to beef up security for the holyday. Mobile-phone service has been shut down in all the major cities to prevent such bombings. Officials said bombers often use cellular phones as remote detonators.

Front Section, Pages 4 on 11/26/2012