Taliban splinter group releases photo of the 25-year-old Wagah suicide bomber

Peshawar, Nov 13: Pakistani Taliban's splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar today identified a 25-year-old man as the suicide bomber who blew himself up at Wagah killing 61 people, minutes after the popular flag-lowering ceremony at the main land border crossing with India.

The Jamaatul Ahrar group led by Omar Khorasani released the details of Hanifullah alias Hamza, claiming that he carried out the suicide bombing at the ceremony, a display of military pageantry which attracts thousands of spectators. The outlawed group also released a photo of the bomber who belonged to a bordering town in Mohmand tribal agency.

The bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the parade complex soon after the completion of the ceremony last Sunday, said Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman of the militant group. He said they will also release a video of the attack, which the outfit claimed was carried out in retaliation to a military operation against the Taliban and tribesmen in the remote Fata region bordering Afghanistan, the Dawn reported.

The horrific attack at the entrance of the Wagah border parade venue killed 61 people, including 10 women and seven children, and left more than 110 injured.

Officials said the damage could have been greater if the attacker had managed to penetrate into the main ceremony area. Ehsan said they chose Wagah Border because of its "international significance" and that it is occupied by more security personnel. He warned such attacks would continue. He said that some groups are claiming the responsibility of the attack but those claims are baseless. Another banned terrorist group Jandullah had also claimed responsibility of the attack.

PTI