Re: Blast in mosque
There have been several attacks against mosques by Taliban. The mastermind of the suicide blast on Sherpao during Eid prayer has already been arrested. He is part of the Baitullah Mehsud group.
Monday, March 30, 2009
By Rahimullah Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: The devastating explosion at Bagyari near Jamrud in Khyber Agency on Friday was the fourth time in the NWFP that a mosque was targeted by terrorists.
In both the Bagyari blast and the one at a mosque in Sherpao village in Charsadda district on December 20, 2007, the officially certified death toll was over 50. The number of injured was also around 200 in both cases.
There was apparently no high-profile target at the Bagyari mosque as those offering the Friday prayers at the roadside place of worship were common tribesmen, travellers and low-ranking officials of the Frontier Corps and Khassadar force.
The target of the suicide bombing at the mosque in Sherpao village was the then federal interior minister Aftab Sherpao. It was Eid day, or Eidul Azha to be precise, and Sherpao, his sons Sikandar and Mustafa, and relatives and guards were praying at the village mosque. Sherpao survived and so did his sons, with Mustafa receiving some injuries, but more than 50 people were killed. On that fateful day, it became obvious that for some people calling themselves to be Islamic fighters, mosques were no longer sacrosanct.
Incidentally, Sherpao had survived an earlier suicide bombing as well in his native Charsadda but that attack had taken place during a public meeting in an open place and not in a mosque. More than 30 people were killed in that blast.
Two other mosques were also attacked by terrorists. One was actually the Imambargah Qasim Beg, in Jhangi Mohalla in Peshawar where a suicide bomber blew himself up on January 18, 2008. The explosion in the congested Imambargah killed 12 worshippers and caused injuries to 20 others.
The other mosque that suffered a bomb explosion was located in the remote Miskeeni Darra area in Dir Lower district. The incident took place during the month of Ramazan last year when seven faithful offering prayers were killed and several others were injured.
Two other attempts by suicide bombers to attack worshippers during congregations were foiled. In one case, the bomber wearing a suicide jacket was overpowered by policemen before he could enter an Imambargah in Dera Ismail Khan. If the young suicide bomber had succeeded in his misguided mission, the human losses at the crowded Imambargah would have been enormous.
In the second incident, the suicide bomber due to nervousness or inadequate training blew himself up before he could reach and target an Eidgah where Eidul Fitr prayers were being offered in Daggar in Buner district.
Four blasts in NWFP mosques thus far
It was unimaginable until a few years ago that mosques, referred to as the House of Allah, would be attacked and that too in the NWFP where Islam plays a dominant role in life. In fact, attacking any place of worship was something unthinkable. But terrorists have no qualms exploding bombs in mosques and sending suicide bombers to kill and maim innocent Muslims who come to offer prayers.
"Mastermind of suicide attacks arrested in Charsadda
Wednesday, 18 Mar, 2009 | 03:26 AM PST | Police recovered explosives, a
Kalashnikov, a computer, 70 cassettes and jihadi literature during the
raid.—AP/File CHARSADDA: Police claimed to have arrested the alleged mastermind
of suicide attacks in Charsadda and seized a suicide vest from his house during
a raid carried out in Turangzai area on late Monday night.
Officials said Hafiz Shahid Riaz was held on information provided by three men
arrested in Nissata two months ago. The suspect is a madressah teacher.
District Police Officer Mohammad Riaz Khan said at a press briefing that
explosives, a Kalashnikov, a computer, 70 cassettes and jihadi literature had
been seized during the raid.
He said police had also arrested Hafiz Shahid’s father Kifayatullah, brother
Imran and sister Effat who worked in the police department.
The CPO said the suspects had revealed that during the recent by-election for
the provincial assembly seat PF-21 a suicide attack had been planned on ANP
leader Azam Khan Hoti, father of Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti.
The police official said that Hafiz Shahid was a follower of Baitullah Mehsud
group and was affiliated with groups headed by Ehtesham and Shakeel in
Shabqadar.
He said the suicide vest had been given to Hafiz Shahid by Baitullah Mehsud’s
men. Peshawar Range DIG Sifwat Ghayyur also came to Charsadda and interrogated
the suspects.
Former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao survived two suicide attacks in the
area in 2007 – 32 people were killed in the first attack in April and 57 in the
second. In
February 2008, a suicide bomber struck an ANP election rally, killing 27 people.
On Oct 2, 2008, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan survived an attempt on his life by
a suicide bomber in Walibagh.
