Islamabad:
At least 11 people were killed and 20 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a police station in the northwest Pakistani town of Kohat with an explosives-laden vehicle today, police said.
An eyewitness said the suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into the outer wall of the police station, causing a massive blast. District police chief Dilawar Bangash confirmed it was a suicide attack. Some policemen and school children were among the dead, police said. The police station was also severely damaged.
Pakistan has witnessed a string of suicide attacks over the past two weeks that have killed more than 100 people. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. They have also warned they will carry out more attacks if the army launches an operation against them in South Waziristan tribal region.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack on the police station and expressed sorrow at the loss of life and property. In separate messages, they expressed their resolve not to be deterred by such acts of terror and said the government remained committed to eliminate extremists and terrorists.
Terrorists today stormed the Federal Investigation Agency building and two other security establishments in Lahore, triggering fierce exchanges of fire with police that left at least four persons dead and several injured.
In the second synchronised attack, another group of terrorists struck a police training centre at Bedian Road, about six kilometres from the Lahore airport.