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17 die in DI Khan blast

* Suicide bomber 15-year-old boy g Police link blast to Waziristan

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: At least 17 people, including three security personnel and a woman, were killed and 16 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a passenger van at Bannu Adda in Dera Ismail Khan district on Tuesday, police officials said.

Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Khaliq linked the suicide blast with deteriorating law and order in South and North Waziristan agencies.

“The police started chasing the suspect 15-year-old boy. The bomber jumped into the commuter van that was about to ply on Chashma Road and blew himself up when the police approached him for his body search,” Khaliq said, adding that two policemen and one Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldier were also killed.

He said four policemen and two women were among the 16 injured, who were admitted to the DI Khan headquarters hospital where five were said to be critical.

Salahuddin, a Saddar Police Station official, told Daily Times via phone that a police mobile van was also parked near the passenger van at the time of the blast. “The van was not the bomber’s target, but he exploded the device when police approached him for a body search.”

An eyewitness, Kalim, said the passenger van was about to leave when the bomber boarded the van and blew himself up, adding that the blast scattered body parts in the vicinity. A few months ago, 14 police officials were killed and 14 civilians injured in a suicide attack at a police training centre in DI Khan.

Meanwhile, the NWFP government announced Rs 100,000 compensation each for the bereaved families, Rs 50,000 for the critically injured and Rs 25,000 for minor injuries.

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