17 dead in attack on rebel leader’s compound

ISLAMABAD (PAN‘s northwestern tribal region of Orakzai early Thursday morning killed 17 people and wounded several others.

The bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the building after several Taliban Nabi Hanafi. They opened fire at inmates, wounding 22 people, a private TV channel reported.

As a result of the powerful explosion, the compound was completely razed, Geo News quoted unnamed officials as saying. There was no independent confirmation of fatalities from the blast in Spin Tall area.

But DawnNews, quoting Tall Deputy Superintendent of Police Shaukat Ali Shah, said there were reports of at least 17 people dead, including a woman and a child, and 22 others injured.

Meanwhile, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for the attack. He blamed Hanafi for supporting the government against the group. Anyone opposing the Taliban ideology and fighting against them would be on the TTP hit list, he added.

Hanafi, once loyal to the outlawed TTP, created his own militant faction to fight against the group. TTP fighters have also targetted Hanafi’s training compounds in the past.

He is wanted by police in connection with the killing of a Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker from Hangu, Fareed Khan. PTI is the ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

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