February 11, 2009 4:31 PM
- Text
51 Dead As Pakistan Suicide Attacks Spread
(CBS/AP)
Pakistan's turmoil spread from the Afghan frontier to the south, where a suicide bomber struck a convoy carrying Chinese workers — one of three suicide attacks that killed at least 51 people Thursday.
Suicide attacks, bombings and shootings and the siege of the mosque, which had mounted a Taliban-style anti-vice campaign challenging the government's authority, have killed about 285 people in Pakistan so far this month, raising concern about the threat posed by Islamic extremists.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf called for national unity against extremists enraged by the army's bloody assault on Islamabad's Red Mosque.
Observers warn Musharraf's refusal to accept that he needs across-the-board support from politicians — including his opponents — has complicated the government's ability to clamp down harder on militancy.
"This is a problem which the military cannot fight alone. You need to mobilize Pakistanis. The way to do that is through seeking support across the board," said Nasim Zehra, a prominent Pakistani political commentator in an interview with CBS News.
CBS News' Farhan Bokhari reported that Thursday's deadliest attack was a bomb blast in Hub, a town outside the southern port city of Karachi, which had remained relatively unscathed by the recent surge in violence.
The blast, now confirmed by police to have been a suicide attack, claimed the lives of 29 people, including seven policemen. The attack took place right after a group of Chinese engineers drove by the site, reports Bokhari.
The Chinese nationals were believed to be safe, but the casualties included policemen escorting them in a separate car.
Maj. Gen. Saleem Nawaz, a commander of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary, considered the outcome fortunate.
"It was laden with very heavy explosives, but due to our spacing and our security measures, Allah has been very kind," Nawaz said on Dawn News television.
The police "sacrificed their lives and the Chinese friends were absolutely safe," he said.
The blast ripped off the front of several roadside shops. Several damaged cars and buses lay rammed into one another among a tangle of bricks and clothing.
Suicide attacks, bombings and shootings and the siege of the mosque, which had mounted a Taliban-style anti-vice campaign challenging the government's authority, have killed about 285 people in Pakistan so far this month, raising concern about the threat posed by Islamic extremists.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf called for national unity against extremists enraged by the army's bloody assault on Islamabad's Red Mosque.
Observers warn Musharraf's refusal to accept that he needs across-the-board support from politicians — including his opponents — has complicated the government's ability to clamp down harder on militancy.
"This is a problem which the military cannot fight alone. You need to mobilize Pakistanis. The way to do that is through seeking support across the board," said Nasim Zehra, a prominent Pakistani political commentator in an interview with CBS News.
CBS News' Farhan Bokhari reported that Thursday's deadliest attack was a bomb blast in Hub, a town outside the southern port city of Karachi, which had remained relatively unscathed by the recent surge in violence.
The blast, now confirmed by police to have been a suicide attack, claimed the lives of 29 people, including seven policemen. The attack took place right after a group of Chinese engineers drove by the site, reports Bokhari.
The Chinese nationals were believed to be safe, but the casualties included policemen escorting them in a separate car.
Maj. Gen. Saleem Nawaz, a commander of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary, considered the outcome fortunate.
"It was laden with very heavy explosives, but due to our spacing and our security measures, Allah has been very kind," Nawaz said on Dawn News television.
The police "sacrificed their lives and the Chinese friends were absolutely safe," he said.
The blast ripped off the front of several roadside shops. Several damaged cars and buses lay rammed into one another among a tangle of bricks and clothing.
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