Terrorists kill 40 worshippers

A military statement said four attackers hurled grenades, then opened fire as they rushed toward the mosque, which was located on Parade Lane in a military residential colony, just a few kilometers from the capital. Two suicide bombers then blew themselves up inside, while the other two were killed in an exchange of gunfire, it said.
Among the dead were Maj. Gen. Bilal Omar, director general of Armored Corps and brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Mustafa Jatoi; a brigadier; two lieutenant colonels; one major and a retired major as well as three regular soldiers, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said. Seventeen children and 10 civilians were also killed.
Witnesses said two of the militants entered the mosque, which had up to 200 worshippers inside, while others ran into buildings nearby. They opened fire as the imam was about to begin the Friday prayers after the sermon. Security forces exchanged fire with the assailants for an hour before they blew themselves up.
TV footage showed the mosque's walls and prayer mats covered in blood and shattered glass lining the floor. Three helicopters hovered overhead while trucks carrying commando teams and ambulances raced through the cordoned-off area as soldiers with rifles ready kept onlookers and traffic away.
"They are taking revenge for the Pakistani Army's successful operations in Swat and Waziristan regions," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.
Pakistan is in the grip of a fierce insurgency, with more than 2,600 people killed in attacks in the last two and a half years. Taleban fighters frequently target security forces and military installations, KAzinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.con for full version.