Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: thousands join in protests against the madrassa strike. From AFP, :
KHAR, Pakistan (AFP) – Armed tribesmen protested against the Pakistani and US governments for a second day, after a deadly raid on an Islamic school that officials said was visited by top Al-Qaeda militants.
A leading human rights group and politicians meanwhile called for an independent probe into claims that the 80 people who died in Monday’s airstrike in Bajaur tribal agency were all students and teachers.
Around 8,000 people, many brandishing guns, rallied at Momandgarh town on the border between Bajaur and the neighbouring Mohmand region, while 3,000 gathered at Dankol village near the Afghan border, witnesses said on Wednesday.
“We want justice for the blood of these innocent people, we demand an inquiry and punishment for those who carried out this brutality,” Haroon Rashid, a legislator from the region told the crowd in Momandgarh.
The crowd shouted back slogans including Allah-o-Akbar (God is the greatest).
Islamic leaders made further threats of retaliation including a cleric who urged around 1,000 protesters at Landi Kotal town in nearby Khyber district to become suicide bombers, an AFP correspondent said.
“Muslims should become suicide bombers to defend themselves. There is no other way but to wage jihad against the aggressors,” said Maulana Nasiruddin, a leader of a Sunni Muslim hardline group.
Radical chiefs made similar exhortations as they vowed revenge for the attack at rallies attended by some 20,000 people Tuesday in Khar, Bajaur’s main town and Landi Kotal.
Hundreds of troops completely sealed off Bajaur district and part of Mohmand on Wednesday for “security reasons”, officials said. Markets and schools in Khar also remained closed for a third day.