Suicide blast kills 8 in northwest Pakistan

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A suicide bomber attacked a police chief outside his house in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, missing him but killing three other officers and five civilians, officials said. The attack indicates the resilience of al-Qaida and Taliban-linked militants close to the Afghan border despite a bloody military offensive in the region that authorities say has killed 1,500 insurgents. The suicide attacker, who was on foot, hit the first vehicle in a convoy as it emerged from the police chief's residence in the city of Mardan, killing eight people and wounding 15 others, said District Mayor Himayat Ali. Police chief Akhtar Ali Shah told reporters that he didn't see the attacker but heard a large explosion at the main gate moments after he got into his vehicle. "I was the target but such attacks cannot stop us from doing our duty," said Shah.