Militants fire rockets at governor's meeting
Updated: 2011-10-11 15:49
(Xinhua)
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ISLAMABAD - Suspected Taliban militants Tuesday fired rockets at a jirga or council of elders in a Pakistani tribal region when the governor of northwestern Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province was delivering a speech, a state TV reported.
Governor Barrister Masood Kausar remained unhurt in the attack in Orakzai tribal region, PTV reported.
At least one person was killed and seven more were injured in the attack, the report said. The injured were transferred to a nearby hospital.
The militants fired two rockets at the meeting. One rocket landed near the helipad prepared for the landing of the governor's helicopter. The second landed in the public meeting, causing panic among the participants.
The security forces used artillery to bomb positions of the militants from where the rockets were fired. There was no report of any casualty of the militants.
The attack disrupted the meeting and the security forces provided protection to the Governor and tribal elders shortly after the strike, local media reported.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. But the authorities blame the Taliban for such attacks. Taliban militants are active in Orakzai, the only tribal region of Pakistan's seven which does not have borders with Afghanistan.
Security officials say that Taliban militants from other regions have taken shelter in Orakzai agency after major military operations.
The security forces have carried out several operations against the militants in Orakzai agency, clearing most of the areas of the militants. But the militants are now operating from the remote mountainous areas.
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