Bombings targeting police kill 5 in NW Pakistan

[January 31, 2011]  PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- A pair of bombings targeting police in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday killed five people, including a senior police officer, officials said.

In the most deadly attack, a suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying Rasheed Khan, the deputy superintendent of police in southern Peshawar, killing him and three others, including his driver, one of his guards and a passer-by, said police official Shafqat Malik.

Authorities originally said the suicide bomber was in a car, but Malik said he was on foot and used about 15 pounds (7 kilograms) of explosives. Seven people were wounded in the attack, which took place on the outskirts of Peshawar, he said.

Less than three hours later, a roadside bomb hit a police vehicle on patrol, killing one policeman and wounding three others, said police official Fazle Wahid. The bombing took place several miles away from the first attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but Peshawar has been repeatedly attacked by the Pakistani Taliban. The city is located next to Pakistan's tribal area, which the militants use as their main base of operations.

[Associated Press; By RIAZ KHAN]

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