Suicide hits on public places register increase

14 attacks in first quarter of 2009 left 201 dead
PESHAWAR: Suicide attacks have once again registered an increase in Pakistan, mostly targeting public places this time, as 14 assaults in the ongoing quarter of 2009 have so far killed 201 people.The last of the suicide attacks took place at public places where innocent civilians were targeted and not security forces. Previously, security forces were the main targets of the suicide bombers. Eleven out of the total 14 suicide blasts occurred either in NWFP or Fata.The latest incident was that in Jamrud, Khyber Agency, where over 80 people were reported killed and over 150 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated explosives around his vest exactly when Friday prayer was being offered inside a mosque.Twelve others were killed and 22 wounded a day earlier in Jandola town of Frontier Region Tank, when a teenage bomber blew him up outside a restaurant. The Friday attack was 5th of its kind during the month of March. In earlier three attacks, 25 people were killed and around 40 wounded. The first incident occurred on March 2 in Pishin district of Balochistan where six seminary students were killed and scores other injured. As many as 15 people were killed and 25 others wounded in another suicide hit in Pir Wadhai area of Rawalpindi district on March 16.NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour escaped second suicide attempt on his life on March 11 in Namakmandi here. He was lucky enough as explosives did not go off when the suicide bomber intended to attack the senior nationalist leader. The bomber later blew him up inside a house after taking shelter to escape police chase. A newly married girl, her elder sister, a brother and their mother were killed in the blast.Six suicide hits were reported during the last month wherein 65 people were killed. Two of these attacks occurred in Bannu while one each happened in Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat and Jamrud.The first suicide attack of 2009 in the country came on January 4 in Dera Ismail Khan where 10 people, including four policemen, were killed and 27 wounded. The same day another suicide bombing took place in Bannu where two security personnel sustained injuries. Two security forces personnel were killed in another suicide attack on January 23 in Mingora, Swat.As many as 61 suicide attacks have been reported in 2008 killing at least 889 people and injuring 2,072 others. The total number of suicide blasts in Pakistan since 2002 has risen to 154, to date. As many as 56 bombers struck in year 2007 wherein former premier Benazir Bhutto was also a victim.Authorities disclosed that 290 people were killed and 711 other wounded in 30 suicide bombings in the NWFP during the previous year. At least 337 people were killed and 585 wounded in 28 suicide bombings in the province, last year.Swat topped the list of districts where 11 suicide bombers hit targets, killing 101 people and injuring 294 others. Four suicide bombers struck in Peshawar in 2008, killing 99 and wounding 226 others.