32 killed at DI Khan funeral blast

* 180 injured as suicide bomber attacks funeral procession of slain Shia leader
* Two killed in firing following blast
* Curfew imposed, army summoned to tackle rioters

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: A curfew was imposed in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday and the army called in to quell riots immediately after a suicide bomber killed at least 30 Shias and injured another 157 who were attending a funeral in southern Dera Ismail Khan district, police and locals told Daily Times.

Witnesses said police ‘ran off’ when gunfire broke out after the blast at the funeral of Shia leader Sher Zaman – who was gunned down a day earlier.

The district administration imposed a curfew following the attack, and the city was given under the control of the military – which, according to locals, managed to bring the situation under control.

A police official from DI Khan said the bomber blew himself up near Shobra Hotel, close to Bannu Road, at around 10:05am, killing 30 people immediately. Of the 157 injured, five were in critical condition, Dr Ashiq Saleem, the Dera Civil Hospital medical superintendent, told Daily Times over the telephone.

Riots broke out in the city following the attack, and police confirmed that two people were killed in the firing that followed the blast.

AP quoted the local police station chief as saying, “The head and a foot of the suicide bomber have been found ... the bomber appeared to be 20 years old.”

The official in charge of the bomb disposal squad told reporters that at least 14 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the attack, and the “suicide bomber was sporting a crew cut and light beard”.

NWFP police chief Malik Naveed Khan has formed a task force to investigate the attack, and file a report in 10 days.

According to the APP news agency, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Governor Slamaan Taseer have condemned the attack.

NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain also condemned the attack. The chief minister has announced compensation for the families of victims.

Meanwhile, police said they had arrested three of the four people suspected of killing Sher Zaman.

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