Off the wire
• 2nd LD-Writethru: China's economic structure improves with robust services  • Hong Kong stocks close 2.07 pct higher  • Across China: Chinese scientists unravel origin, global migration of domestic dogs  • China reports fewer fire casualties in 2015  • Samsung begins mass producing world's fastest 4GB HBM DRAM  • Panama Canal expansion offers U.S. ports new opportunities  • 2nd LD-Writethru: China's industrial output growth slows  • (Sports) Andy Murray calls on ATP to educate young players about corruption  • 1st LD Writethru: 8 killed, 20 injured in factory boiler blast in eastern Pakistan  • Iraq's Sunni lawmakers, ministers to boycott parliament, cabinet sessions  
You are here: 　 Home

3rd LD Writethru: 11 killed in suicide blast near check post in Pakistan's Peshawar

Xinhua, January 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 11 people were killed and 36 others injured on Tuesday morning in a suicide blast that hit a security check post in Pakistan's northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar, officials said.

Shahab Ali Shah, political agent of the country's northwestern tribal area of Khyber Agency, said the incident took place at 10:20 a.m. (local time) when a suicide bomber exploded his jacket near the Levies check post in the Karkhano Market area located at the border of Peshawar district and Jamrud town of the restive Khyber Agency.

Karkhano Market is the gateway to Peshawar from the country's restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

An eyewitness told media that the security personnel stopped a motorcyclist, who was coming from the Khyber Agency, but he exploded himself at the barrier.

Security forces, police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the Hayatabad Medical Complex hospital in Peshawar.

An official from the hospital said they received 36 injured, out of whom 10 persons who had minor injuries were discharged after the treatment.

"Death toll may further rise as several injured were in critical condition," the hospital official said.

Most of the killed were security personnel including an officer; however, several civilians including a child, a woman and a local TV channel journalist were also killed in the blast.

The bomb disposal squad confirmed that it was a suicide attack and around 10-14 kilograms of explosives along with ball bearings were used in the blast.

At least three vehicles and six motorcycles were completely destroyed as they caught fire after the explosion.

The security check post was entirely destroyed, while a couple of nearby shops were partially damaged in the blast.

Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation in the surrounding areas.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Federal Interior Minister of the country, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, condemned the attack and expressed sympathies with the relatives of the killed.

Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, the ruling party of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, also condemned the attack and asked the provincial government to provide the best available treatment to the injured. Endit