Attack on a Judicial Complex in Pakistan Leaves 12 Dead

The explosion of two bombs near a judicial complex in northwestern Pakistan left at least 12 dead. This incident occurred just hours after an attack by Pakistani Taliban militants on a Christian neighborhood in the same area. Reuters reported on Friday, September 2, citing the head of the relief department in the city of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, that among the victims of the bomb blasts were several lawyers and police officers. Mardan city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed similar attacks last winter that resulted in the deaths of 20 people, for which the militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility. The report states that no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the Mardan judicial complex, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has stated that these attacks will not undermine the country's resolve to combat terrorism. In Mr. Sharif's statement, he said, 'These regressive elements show their impotence by attacking civilian targets.' However, on the same day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also the scene of an attack on a Christian neighborhood in Peshawar city, which resulted in the deaths of at least one security officer and one civilian. Reuters writes that 'Jamaat-ul-Ahrar,' which has previously targeted Christians, has claimed responsibility for this incident. The French news agency also reports on the fate of the attackers. According to the report from this agency, citing Pakistani military sources, four attackers wearing explosive vests were ultimately killed in a clash with Pakistani security forces. The Pakistani army has assured that the area is now under control and that security forces are conducting house-to-house searches in the region.