17 Pakistani security personnel die in suicide attack (Lead)
August 27th, 2009 - 11:43 pm ICT by IANS
Islamabad, Aug 27 (DPA) A suicide bomber detonated explosives at a Pakistani security post on the border with Afghanistan on Thursday, killing himself and 17 others, a government official said.
The attack took place when members of tribal police known locally as the Khasadar Force gathered at the Torkham border checkpoint in the tribal district of Khyber for Iftari, a meal to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“The initial reports show that a suicide bomber, apparently a young man, approached on foot and blew himself up,” said Tariq Hayat Khan, the top government official in the district.
“So far 17 Khasadars have been confirmed killed while 10 more are injured,” he added.
The security officials also recovered the charred body of the suspected suicide attacker.
The bombing demolished parts of the building.
The Torkham border crossing stands on the main land route used to ferry almost 75 per cent of the fuel, food, and military supplies to NATO forces from the Pakistani port of Karachi to Afghanistan.
Taliban militants have attacked the NATO supply convoys, disrupting supplies, several times this year.
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Tags: afghanistan taliban, border crossing, convoys, government official, hayat khan, initial reports, karachi, khyber, military supplies, muslim holy, nato forces, ramadan, security officials, security personnel, security post, suicide attack, suicide attacker, suicide bomber, tariq, tribal police