‘Anti-drone’ militant group claims Parachinar twin blasts

Published July 27, 2013
Residents gather at the site of twin bomb explosions in Parachinar, the main town of Kurram tribal region. — Photo by AFP
Residents gather at the site of twin bomb explosions in Parachinar, the main town of Kurram tribal region. — Photo by AFP

PESHAWAR: A new militant group by the name of Ansarul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the Parachinar attack which has left at least 57 dead and around 180 injured and says this is their first attack outside Waziristan.

Speaking to Dawn.com from an undisclosed location, a spokesman for Ansarul Mujahideen, Abu Baseer, said the group had been set up to respond to US drone strikes.

Baseer said the organisation was “very clear” about its mission, adding that “with each drone attack, we will be responding with a suicide attack…we have done it and shown it”.

He said the recent suicide attacks on Esha check post, Boya check post and Damdail check post were carried out by Ansarul Mujahideen in retaliation to US drone strikes, adding that these would continue.

Pakistan’s official position on drone attacks says these are counter productive and undermine government efforts to separate tribes from militants, violate Pakistan’s sovereignty, kill civilians and fuel anti-US sentiment.

Regarding yesterday’s twin blasts, Baseer said the attacks had been carried out in reaction to “the atrocities committed against the majority Sunni population in Iraq and Syria”, adding that the Ansarul Mujahideen would target “those who somehow support” these atrocities.

Parachinar is some 250 kilometres west of Peshawar and has a population of 50,000. In the wake of sectarian clashes in 2007, the army and paramilitary forces set up several checkpoints on roads leading to the town.

Kurram, the tribal region of which Parachinar is the main town, the only part of Pakistan's border region that has a significant Shia population, has been racked by sectarian violence.

Opinion

Editorial

Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...
Ill omens
Updated 12 Feb, 2025

Ill omens

One wonders whether institutional leadership realises the long-term ramifications of the ongoing "remaking" of judiciary.
Sunken dreams
12 Feb, 2025

Sunken dreams

ANOTHER tragedy has struck Pakistani migrants seeking a better future. A boat capsizing off the Libyan coast has ...
Hate in India
12 Feb, 2025

Hate in India

HISTORY shows that rulers use hate speech to provoke hate crimes and ‘othering’ among communities. Indian Prime...