Osama bin Laden dead: Taliban suicide bombers kill 80 in Pakistan

Victims of the bomb attack are taken to a hospital in

Taliban kill 80 in Bin Laden revenge attack

Two suicide bombers strike in Pakistan as recruits leave paramilitary centre

Pakistan's taliban retaliated brutally for the slaying of Osama bin Laden yesterday when two suicide bombers attacked a paramilitary recruitment centre killing at least 80 people in one of the deadliest strikes in recent months.
The two suicide bombers detonated their explosive vests just as the recruits from the Frontier Constabulary – an ill-equipped and poorly trained police force – were leaving their training centre at the Shabqadar Fort in the north-west town of Charsadda.
 Most of those who died were Frontier Constabulary recruits in a bombing that raised fears that it may be the first in a deadly wave across Pakistan. It came after a lull in major attacks on security installations.
The recruits had been boarding buses, on their way home for leave after graduating from the training facility just a day earlier. After the break, they were due to take up positions in the north-west, some in areas where Pakistan is trying to hold territory wrested back from security forces in anti-Taliban military offensives.
"This attack shows that the Taliban can still hit vulnerable security targets," said Muhammad Amir Rana, Director of Pakistan's Institute for Peace Studies. In recent months, the militants have laid more emphasis on sectarian attacks, bombing shrines, Shia processions and Ahmedi mosques. They may now revert to their traditional targets.
Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack and told the Associated Press that the bombings were to "avenge" the US Navy Seals operation that killed Bin Laden. The Pakistani Taliban is closely aligned with al-Qa'ida in Pakistan, and was inspired by the global terror organisation's taste for deadly violence.
"The Pakistani army has failed to protect its land," Mr Ahsan said. In recent days, a potent mix of anger and shame has served to heighten anti-Americanism in Pakistan. The US raid is being seen by many here as a humiliating violation of sovereignty.www.mannamart.com