Bomber hits police station; five killed

TANK Five persons including a policeman were killed and scores of others were injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the building of Gomal Police Station, some 20-km in southwest of Tank Saturday. According to police sources, the suicide attempt was made about 3:45 pm and informed that a suicide attacker in a blue coloured car laden with explosive material hit the main gate of the police station resultantly five persons including a constable Syed Raza were killed on the spot. The police station building was also damaged due to the intensity of the blast. Besides, the explosion also left a number of other persons injured that happened to be near the site of the blast. Hospital sources said that a boy identified as Shoaib also lost his life in the explosion. Nine other injured including four women were brought to District Headquarter Hospital for treatment. Dr Amanullah, a senior medical officer, said that 3 persons including a woman were shifted to Dera Ismail Khan being in critical condition. AFP adds: A police official said 11 people including five policemen, three passers-by and three prisoners in the police lock-up were injured. Another senior police official Ghazanfar Hussain also confirmed the incident and casualties. I was busy in routine desk work inside the police station when a blast rocked the entire building, he said. He added that one of the outer walls of the police station collapsed due to the impact of the blast while big cracks appeared in other rooms of the building. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi condemned Saturdays bombing and 'emphasised that terrorism will never be allowed to succeed in its nefarious designs, a foreign ministry statement said. Such acts only strengthen our resolve to fight terrorism with more vitality and the government and the people of Pakistan are determined to root out this menace, the minister said.