Seven killed in Pakistan suicide attack

ISLAMABAD - Seven people were killed in Pakistan’s Swat Valley Saturday, when an Islamist militant detonated his explosives as security forces tried to arrest him in a busy market, the military said.

Twelve people were injured in the blast at the textile market in Mingora, the region’s main town.

District military commander, Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, told reporters that the soldiers had raided a shop in the market on the information provided by two militants apprehended earlier.

The soldiers first shot dead an armed militant, while the other blew up his suicide vest.

“Thanks God, we had cleared much of the area prior to the operation and many shops were already empty when the blast took place. That is why there were few losses,” Nadeem said.

“Altogether four militants, including the two who led us to the shop, died in the incident. Three civilians were martyred,” added Nadeem. Seven soldiers and five civilians were wounded.

The bombing took place about one hour after police arrested a suspected teenage suicide bomber following a tip. The blast damaged 14 shops.

Pakistan’s army is fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants in the lawless tribal districts near Swat Valley, 140 km northwest of Islamabad.