At least nine people, including four policemen, were killed and 15 others sustained injuries when a suicide bomber blown himself up near the office of a senior police officer in Mardan on Friday. According to reports, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mardan, Akhtar Ali Shah, was about to leave his office when the attacker detonated his explosives outside his office.
The victims included the bodyguards, escorting the vehicle of the DIG. "The attacker blew himself up close to the escort when my guards tried to stop him, entering the office premises. Had he entered the office, he would have caused more losses," the police officer reportedly told a foreign news agency.
The police found the head and some other parts of the body of suicide bomber. Suicide bombers usually strap explosives to their bodies and their heads are cut off in the blast.
NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has strongly condemned the suicide car bomb attack, and has expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the tragic incident. In a condolence message, the Governor, expressing his deep sympathies with the members of the bereaved families, said: "Because of such type of inhuman acts of cowardice, not only innocent precious lives are lost and property destroyed, but they are also tend to bring a bad name to the nation and the country."
He said that the elements, involved in such subversive activities would no more remain at large and would be brought to the court of law shortly. The Governor also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with patience. He also wished early recovery of the injured.