Suicide bomber kills many in Peshawar

The London News.Net
Sunday 8th November, 2009

Twelve people have been killed in Pakistan's Peshawar after a suicide bomber exploded a bomb near the house of the one of the city mayors, Abdul Malik.

Abdul Malik and a commander of the local anti-Taliban force were killed instantly.

Malik, in the past, had raised a militia against Taliban rebels and was known as an anti-militant mayor.

The bombing occurred on Sunday morning when the bomber drew up in a car and exploded it as the mayor was talking with some visitors outside his guesthouse.

36 others were wounded in the attack.

Malik had once had close links to the hardline Taliban movement, but switched sides in 2008.

He formed a militia to take the Taliban on and had successfully battled some Islamist extremists on the edge of the city.

The mayor had survived numerous other attempts on his life by his former Taliban allies.

Military officials have encouraged local officials and tribal elders to raise militias to keep the rebels out of the cities.

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