Pakistan attack kills 16
October 13, 2012
Security officials in the town of Darra Adam Khel, some 200 km (124 miles) west of the capital Islamabad, said that the suicide attack at a crowded market appeared to target a pro-government militia created to fight Taliban militants.
They said at least 23 other people had been wounded, some very seriously.
A police official, Naeem Khan, said the dead and wounded were being transported to hospitals in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Taliban militants have in the past carried out such attacks in the town.
The government has begun encouraging tribesmen in the region to revive traditional militias to oppose the Taliban as the army has so far failed to crush the insurgents' network.
Shot schoolgirl 'satisfactory'
Meanwhile, the military announced that 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head on Tuesday by a Taliban attacker, is in a satisfactory condition, though she remains on a ventilator.
"(The) health condition of Malala continues to remain satisfactory," a statement read. "Her vitals are okay and she is still on ventilator. A board of doctors is continuously monitoring her condition."
Authorities have offered a reward of more than $100,000 (77,178 euros) for the capture of her attackers. Two other girls were also injured when the gunman opened fire on their school bus.
Malala won international prominence with a blog for the BBC that highlighted atrocities under the Taliban in the Swat Valley and advocated education for girls.
tj/slk (Reuters, AFP, AP)