20 killed, 80 hurt in Pakistan bombing

Published: Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Order reprints
KOHAT, Pakistan, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A car bomb killed at least 20 people Friday at a police checkpoint in northern Pakistan, police said.

At least 80 people were injured, the Pak Tribune reported.

As much as 50 pounds of explosives detonated, Police Inspector Gen. Naveed Khan told Geo News. He said the crater left by the blast suggests that it was not a suicide attack.

An intelligence official said it appeared the bomber had intended to target minority Shia Muslims, but decided to detonate the bomb after being stopped by police in the Orakzai Agency, Dawn reported.

"The bomber tried to drive into a market in a Shia neighborhood ... but blew up his car when police tried to stop him at a checkpoint," the official said.

Security officials said a jirga, or tribal council meeting, was taking place near the site of the bombing. The jirga was aimed at settling hostilities between regional Shia and Sunni Muslims.

Dawn said a bombing of a tribal council in October killed more than 50 people.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Puppy transporter charged with cruelty (16 min)
Study: Play ball after shoulder surgery (20 min)
MLB: LA Dodgers 12, Milwaukee 8 (10 inn.) (23 min)
GM considers new car listings on eBay (28 min)
Broken main floods Philly neighborhood (31 min)
MLB: Houston 6, Washington 5 (33 min)
UPI Sports Calendar for Sarurday, July 11 (43 min)
fark
Only the Royals would consider Yuniesky Betancourt a 'major trade'. Second paragraph- 'Betancourt,...
Probably the most spectacularly disturbing suicide you'll read about today
Photoshop these creepy earrings
Patronizing Tijuana hookers while on drugs may be unhealthy, according to Dr. N.S. Sherlock, of...
Defense lawyers request words like "polygamy,""cult" and "compound" not be used in their client's...
TSG Mugshot roundup: Twin billing