World
Here Is What We Know About The Blast In North West Pakistan That Left 13 Dead, Over 50 Wounded
Blast in Pakistan Swat Valley.
Late on Monday (24 April), twin blasts rocked a counter-terrorism office in the Swat valley, north-western region of Pakistan.
At least 13 have died and 50 have been injured in the twin blasts, with majority of dead being police personnel belonging to the counter terrorism department.
Here is what we know so far of the twin blasts.
Initially it was thought that the explosion was due to a suicide attack but later a spokesman for the provincial police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa denied and said, "that ammunition caught fire, "most probably due to an electric short-circuit".
The spokesperson added, "No evidence of an attack from outside has been established so far".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted, "Strongly condemn suicide attack on CTD police station in Swat. Nation is deeply grieved over martyrdom of police officials. Our police has been the first line of defence against terrorism. We will not rest until we eliminate this scourge. My condolences to bereaved families".
Apart, from the policemen of the counterterrorism department killed one woman and one child who were passing by were also killed in the blasts.
It is worth noting that the Swat valley, in 2009, was under the control of terrorists. This area has a significant presence of counter terror police and is reportedly a hotbed of Islamic terrorism.
Noble Laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012 was also in shot in this valley.
As per a report by the TOI, the region in which the counter-terrorism office in Pakistan's Swat valley was targeted on Monday has been a witness to two major attacks on police stations since the start of this year, which the Pakistani authorities attribute to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a notorious terrorist organisation that was founded in 2007.
There has been a spurt of terror attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The Pakistan government alleges that the TTP is launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil.
