Suicide attack kills four in northwest Pakistan

Islamabad, Nov 11 (UNI) At least four people were killed and several others injured when a suicide bomber struck the main gate of a sports stadium in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar this evening.

Northwestern Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor Owais Ghani, senior Provincial Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who were also present in the stadium to witness closing ceremony of inter-provincial games, escaped unhurt.

A senior police official said the bomber blew himself up when he was stopped by security personnel at the main gate of the stadium where more than 10,000 people were present.

He said that they found legs and other severed body parts of the bomber from the site, adding he used 8-10 kg of explosives in the attack.

The explosion came amid an ongoing military operation against Islamist militants in the northwestern Swat valley and troubled tribal regions that American and NATO officials say have become save havens for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

The dead and injured were shifted to local hospitals after blast where emergency has been was declared.

Security has been put on high alert in the city, which has been hit by insurgency after Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan headed by Baitullah Mehsud launched a series of attacks all over the province against security forces.

Previous Pakistan Muslim League (Q) government blamed Mehsud of masterminding assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December last year.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in suicide attacks and bomb explosions across Pakistan since July 2007 when Pakistani security forces attacked Islamabad's radical Red Mosque.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and other Provincial Ministers have strongly condemned the suicide attack.

UNI XC RJ NS2341