ISLAMABAD, 9 November 2006 — A suicide bomber killed at least 42 Pakistani soldiers at an army base in the North West Frontier Province yesterday in what appears to be a revenge attack for the missile strike that killed over 80 students at a madrasa 20 miles away recently.
Witnesses said the huge explosion at Dargai in the North West Frontier Province sowed panic, and left body parts and shredded clothing scattered across a parade ground where trainee soldiers had gathered for morning assembly.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said, “It was an act of terrorism committed by a suicide bomber...the suicide bomber struck at 8.40 a.m.”
He added, “Forty-two recruits died in the attack and others are hospitalized, some are in critical condition.”
The soldiers belonged to Pakistan Army’s Punjab Regiment, which has its center at Mardan.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao told Arab News, “It was a reaction to the Bajaur madrasa attack. Many people had vowed revenge. We cannot rule out the possibility of a strong link with the Bajaur incident.” He added that the injured had been shifted to a military hospital in Mardan.
Sherpao said a man wrapped in a blanket was dropped off near the training area and the man exploded himself after running toward the training area.
A local resident said there was a deafening sound of a blast in the morning. Residents left their homes and came running to the site. “There were bloody bodies all around,” said a resident, adding, “Soon after, military police and other security agencies surrounded the area and stopped people from going near the training area.”
Ihsanullah Khan, another local resident, said, “Military trucks and ambulances started running up and down moving the dead and injured to a nearby military hospital.” He added, “The victims were just lying around dying and their shoes and caps were scattered all over the place.”
Dargai is considered to be one of the strongholds of the Taleban. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
A lady member of the NWFP legislative assembly, Riffat Sawati, told Arab News speaking from Peshawar, “It was sure shot a backlash from the Khar madrasa attack.”
The Khar incident remains a mystery. Following the Khar attack the Pakistan Army claimed responsibility saying the madrasa was a military training facility for Al-Qaeda militants, while some American journalists quoting the US Defense Intelligence Agency reported that an American unmanned Predator carried out the attack. However, local residents maintained that those killed were youngsters who had just recently returned from their annual Ramadan holidays.
Following the attack reporters said they saw the bodies of young children, some as young as seven, being pulled from the debris. Islamabad says no women or children died in the attack.
— With input from agencies
