Bombings Continue as Pakistani Militants Threaten Wider War

TTP Also Claims Credit for Lahore Bombing

13 people were killed in a series of bombings in Pakistan that are the latest in what the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are saying is going to be a series of attacks in major cities across the nation’s heartland. The attacks appear to be revenge for the massive offensive in the Swat Valley.

The TTP also took credit for yesterday’s bombing in Lahore, which saw at least 30 people killed and hundreds of others wounded when a car bomb destroyed the better part of two city blocks, including a police building and the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

Five civilians were killed and around 100 wounded in the bombing of a Peshawar bazaar, forcing an emergency situation in area hospitals. Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the attack was a sign the militants are “on the run.” After the bombings, snipers on the rooftops opened fire on police.

Later in the day, a suicide bomber attacked a police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan, killing and injuring several others. The TTP is the primary militant group being fought in the Swat Valley, where a military offensive has killed over a thousand suspects and displaced millions of civilians.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.