Seven killed in Taliban attack on Pak court

Peshawar, February 21 

Seven persons, including a lawyer, were killed and 21 others injured today when heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers stormed a court in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the latest terror attack in the country.

The attackers opened fire and threw grenades as they attempted to enter the sessions court premises in Tangi, 30 km away from Peshawar, prompting retaliatory fire by the security forces deployed there.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Several terrorists attacked the court and resorted to heavy firing at the main gate of the lower court. According to bomb disposal experts, each bomber was wearing 7-8 kg of explosives,” said Sohail Khalid, district police chief, Charsadda.

One bomber was killed in the firing at the gate and the second was killed as he entered the court. The third bomber died when he detonated his explosives, officials said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack. — PTI