11 dead, dozens wounded in Pakistan court blast: Report

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Pakistani local residents inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack at a district court in Mardan.
Pakistani local residents inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack at a district court in Mardan.

Peshawar, Pakistan - The bomber threw a hand grenade then detonated his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters.

By AFP

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Published: Fri 2 Sep 2016, 10:00 AM

Last updated: Sat 3 Sep 2016, 7:13 PM

 At least 11 people have been killed and up to 40 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in the Pakistani city of Mardan Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan's legal community.
The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade then detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters.
"The death toll has risen to 11," he said, after officials had earlier put it at 10.
Khan and another police official, Faisal Shehzad, said the dead included at least two policemen as well as lawyers and clerks. The bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan.
Friday's blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the west of Mardan.
Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said.
All four attackers were killed along with a guard at the entrance to the colony, the statement said, adding that the situation is "under control".
Pakistani Taleban, claimed responsibility for the attempt.
The group has also said it was behind the attack on lawyers in Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing which killed 75 people in Pakistan's deadliest attack this year.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned Friday's attacks, adding that militants were on the back foot and were "showing (their) frustration by attacking soft targets".
"They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he added.


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