Following closely on the heels of a suicide blast at a hospital, as the jihadists in Pakistan make their case for Sharia in the post-Musharraf era. “45 dead in twin suicide attack,” from Agence France-Presse, August 21 (thanks to JE):
AT least 45 people were killed in a double suicide blast outside Pakistan’s main military arms factory today, police said.
The attackers struck almost simultaneously outside two gates of the huge factory in the northern town of Taxila, near the capital Islamabad, local police chief Nasir Durrani said.
It was the second incident of suspected militant violence in Pakistan since key US ally Pervez Musharraf resigned as president on Monday, leaving the pursuit of the “war on terror” to the fragile coalition government.
“It’s a massive attack,” said.
“Two men apparently blew themselves up outside the factory during a shift change. The bombers were on foot and they exploded themselves less than a minute apart,” he said.
Factory worker Riaz Hussain said most of the victims were labourers who were joining the afternoon shift.
“I was working in the factory when I heard one blast and then another. They were huge,” he said.
“Security people then immediately surrounded the place and we were not allowed to go outside. They allowed us out one by one after clearing the area.”
An official from an ambulance service said that more than 100 injured, along with the bodies of the dead, had been taken to hospital.
“The blast took place as staff were leaving after finishing their day’s duty and it was very crowded,” said Zaheer Shah, of Edhi Rescue, Pakistan’s largest private charity.
“We have 25 ambulances working and there also army and factory staff engaged in the rescue work,” Shah said.
The blast comes two days after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a hospital in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan on Tuesday, killing 30 people.
Pakistani Taliban militants have warned in recent days that they would launch attacks on the military in revenge for an ongoing army operation in the troubled tribal region of Bajaur on the Afghan border….