PESHAWAR: A bomb attack killed three people and wounded two others in a relatively peaceful area of Pakistan’s northwestern tribal district early Friday, officials said. A father and his son were among those killed as they returned home after offering Eid prayers in the Ambar area of Mohmand, one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal districts along the Afghan border. “The improvised explosive device (IED) planted near the mosque exploded when people were returning home after offering prayers,” Sikandar Shah, a local government official, told AFP. All those killed and wounded were civilians, Shah said. An official from the local tribal police confirmed the incident and casualties. The political administration of the area also confirmed the IED blast and said that the tribesmen were returning home after offering Eid prayers when the bomb device went off. According to traditions, the tribesmen of the area celebrate Eid with Saudi Arabia. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Shah said that local tribesmen had launched an anti-Taliban militia and the incident might be a reaction to that.
Published in Daily Times, September 2nd 2017.
