Bomber targets top Pakistani policeman; 8 killed

19 September 2011 - 08:55 By Sapa-AP
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Image: Gallo Images/ Thinkstock

A suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives Monday outside the home of a senior police officer tasked with cracking down on the Taliban and other militants in Pakistan's largest city. The blast killed at least eight people and left a crater 3 meters deep, police said.

The policeman targeted in the bombing in the southern port city of Karachi, Chaudry Aslam, was not harmed and appeared on local television shortly after the attack to blame the Pakistani Taliban.

"This is a cowardly act," said Aslam. "I'm not scared. I will not spare them."

The bomb exploded early Monday morning as many children were headed to a school located near Aslam's home in the Defense neighborhood of Karachi, an upscale residential area that rarely experiences militant attacks or other forms of violence that plague the city.

The eight people killed in the attack included six policeman guarding Aslam's house, one woman and one child, said Aslam. He estimated that at least 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of explosives were used in the attack.

Local television footage showed extensive damage from the blast. The front of one concrete building was totally blown away. Rubble littered the streets amid the burned carcasses of cars hit by the explosion.

Aslam is a top police officer in the Crime Investigation Department, which works to arrest Taliban fighters and other militants in Karachi, a bustling city that is home to some 18 million people and is also Pakistan's main commercial hub.

Karachi has not seen as many militant attacks as other major cities in Pakistan, but it is believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have fled army operations in the northwest near the Afghan border.

No group has claimed responsibility for Monday's attack, but the Pakistani Taliban have targeted members of the security forces across the country.

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