DERA GHAZI KHAN, April 8: At least 400 suicide bombers are being trained in the Mirali area of North Waziristan, claims the arrested bomber who took part in a suicide attack that killed over 50 people and injured 100 others at the shrine of Sakhi Sarwar on April 3.

Fifteen-year-old Umer was arrested after his belt of explosives failed to go off in the attack.

“Arabs, Uzbeks and Tajiks are among the militants being trained by commander Sangin Khan who runs training camps both in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Umer, who had lost his left arm in the attack, told Dawn at the DHQ Hospital here on Friday.

Umer, a class nine student, said 10 'Fidayeens' (suicide bombers) had left a 'suicide training centre' near Mirali. Four of them -- Ismail, Muttaqi, Aziz and Umer himself -- were given the task to bomb Sakhai Sarwar shrine.

He said Ismail had carried out the first blast, but the explosives that he (Umer) was carrying exploded partially. He said he was not aware of the whereabouts of Muttaqi and Aziz.

He said Naeem, a Pashtun, had motivated him to take part in suicide attacks on 'infidels'. He spent six months in the training camp where he was trained by Qari Zafar.

He said Naeem had brought them to Dera Ghazi Khan on March 29 and they stayed in Madina Hotel till April 3. He said they were helped by Ayaz, a resident of the area.

Umer said he, Ayaz, Naeem and Ismail left the hotel at 11am on April 3 for the shrine with a bag carried by Ayaz. He said no security personnel had checked them on the way and up to the shrine. Suicide jackets were provided to Umer and Ismail at the shrine.

Umer said he was ashamed of the inhuman act and sought forgiveness. “I was misled by the trainer and motivator against my brethren.” He appealed to other Fidayeen not to kill innocent people. Agencies add: Umer said he was “seeking forgiveness” from the families of those killed and wounded. “I never knew that I was going to hurt Muslims. I learned it only after I failed,” said the boy. “God has given me a new life but I am sad that we killed innocent people, innocent children.”

Umer said he was initially recruited on the understanding that he would be smuggled into Afghanistan to kill non-Muslims. “But they brought me here to Dera Ghazi Khan. I told them 'there is no kafir (non-believer) here'. They told me these people are worse than kafirs,” he added.

He claimed that Qari Zafar had convinced him to begin a life of militancy. “He told me that all this education is useless and said 'become a fighter and you will go to heaven',” Umer told reporters.