ISLAMABAD, April 30: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on Monday said the scope of the investigation into the Charsadda suicide attack had been widened after indications that Al Qaeda network was behind the incident.

Speaking at a press conference at the ministry, he said some local operatives might have been used by Al Qaeda for the attack in which he himself was the main target.

Mr Sherpao told media on Sunday that Abdullah Mehsud, a tribal militant with links to Al Qaeda, had been involved in the suicide attack at a public meeting in his constituency, which left 30 people, including two suicide bombers, dead.

"Two bodies have not yet been identified and specimens collected from the site of the blast have been sent to laboratory for forensic tests," he said.

He said details and sketches of suspects would be published in newspapers and the government would welcome any information about the suicide bombers, and the informer would be rewarded.

The minister claimed that the Charsadda suicide bombing had been the heaviest one among all 27 suicide attacks the country had witnessed so far.

He told reporters that terrorists had used six to eight kilograms of high explosives, Russian technology and nuts, bolts and pellets to cause maximum casualties among the people.

He dispelled the impression that the interior ministry was aware of the bombing.

“Not this time. We had received such information for another public meeting held on Feb 28 on the occasion of death anniversary of my elder brother Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao,” the minister said.

About the death toll, the minister said a total of 30 people died in the bombing, including two suicide bombers, whose heads had been found from the site of the blast.

“One of them is believed to be a facilitator accompanying the teenaged attacker,” he said.

The minister said that the government had announced Rs100,000 for each of the deceased and Rs50,000 for each injured person as compensation. He reiterated his resolve to root out terrorism from the country and urged all political parties to join hands to eradicate the menace of terrorism.