Islamabad (dpa) – At least five people were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a rival militant group in Pakistan's troubled north-western tribal region, officials and militants sources said. The incident occurred in the Akakhel area of remote Tirah valley in Khyber, one of seven tribal districts, where the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militant group is active. Bakhtair Khattak, deputy administrator of the district, said that a suicide bomber attacked an LI office. “Our information shows that five people have been killed in the attack,” Khattak said. Hazrat Omer, an LI spokesman, said seven of the group's members were killed when a lone suicide bomber walked into the building and detonated himself. A purported Taliban spokesman who identified himself only as Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack. He put the death toll at eight. The exact toll could not be verified through independent sources as the area is out of reach of free press or aid workers. An intelligence official said the attack was carried out by the Tariq Afridi group of the Taliban, which is fighting with Lashkar for control of the district. At least 23 suspected members of Lashkar-e-Islam were killed in a suicide bombing by the Tariq Afridi group in the same region during the first week of March. Khyber plays host to various militants groups who not only fight with one another, but also frequently attack government forces deployed there to fight the militants. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/ekl9u Tags: Attack, Bombing, Pakistan, Suicide Section: Latest News, Pakistan, South Asia
