Tarlai Blast: Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Says Suicide Bomber Was Trained in Afghanistan by India

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said in the National Assembly that the suicide bomber involved in the Tarlai blast was a resident of Peshawar and was trained in Afghanistan, claiming India was behind the operation. He said the attacker opened fire on guards at an imambargah in Tarlai, entered the premises and detonated himself. He stated that 33 worshippers had been martyred so far—most of them young people, including many students from educational institutions—and that the number of injured was over 150. He added that Islamabad’s IGP’s cousin, Hassan, was among those martyred and the IGP’s uncle was injured. The minister said the bomber, identified as Yasir Khan, had been identified, and that Nowshera CTD arrested four terrorists. He also said information suggested another killed terrorist was also a suicide bomber. He noted that intelligence agencies have prevented several such incidents, but added that despite existing security SOPs for places of worship, the guards could not stop the attacker.