16 Killed in Explosion at Spy Agency in Pakistan*

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Militants stepped up their fight against the
Pakistani government on Friday, striking a building belonging to the
country’s main intelligence agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar,
Pakistani television reported.


The early morning explosion killed at least 16 people and wounded more
than 30 in what has become a grimly familiar cycle of violence.
Peshawar, a bustling city on the edge of Pakistan’s western frontier,
has been particularly hard hit, with near daily bombings that have
unsettled residents and interrupted daily rhythms.


“Peshawar seems to have become the main target,” said Hasan Askary, an
analyst, speaking on Dawn Television.


The bombing’s location left no doubt about the insurgent’s motive:
Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence
directorate, is a symbol of the power of the military, which has been
conducting a campaign against Taliban militants in the western mountains
of South Waziristan.


The intelligence agency, know by its initials, ISI, has carried out
operations against Al Qaeda operatives hiding in the western mountains,
and in recent years, it has itself become a target. An ISI building was
attacked this spring in Lahore, one of Pakistan’s largest cities.


Militants have hidden in Pakistan’s western tribal areas for years, but
have only recently begun to attack the state itself. That shift
eventually prompted broad military action, which represented a break
from the past, when the security forces and Pakistani society were
deeply ambivalent about fighting militants.


Now, the military’s offensive in South Waziristan has, in turn, prompted
a sharp increase in insurgent attacks on the police and military, as
well as on public markets and other locations where there have been many
civilian casualties.


Residents in Peshawar said the bomb could be heard around the city,
ratting windows with a big boom. Video on Pakistani television showed a
building whose corner had collapsed, and rescue workers clearing a
closed, debris scattered street.


“It was the biggest explosion I’ve ever heard,” a city resident, Asad
Ali, said, according to Reuters.


Peshawar’s police chief, Liaqat Ali Khan, said a car bomber had attacked
the main gate of the complex, The Associated Press reported.


The United States has pushed Pakistan to take tougher action against
militants in its territory. Pakistan contends that it has taken
comprehensive action, but that it has been hampered by the foundering
American effort in Afghanistan.


This spring, Pakistan’s military conducted a broad campaign against
militants in a valley north of the capital, Islamabad, and was praised
for the relatively low level of civilian casualties. But South
Waziristan is the base of the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, and
military officials believe it will be a more difficult fight.


Sorry if this post wasn't up to my normal ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Militants stepped up their fight against the
Pakistani government on Friday, striking a building belonging to the
country’s main intelligence agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar,
Pakistani television reported.


The early morning explosion killed at least 16 people and wounded more
than 30 in what has become a grimly familiar cycle of violence.
Peshawar, a bustling city on the edge of Pakistan’s western frontier,
has been particularly hard hit, with near daily bombings that have
unsettled residents and interrupted daily rhythms.


“Peshawar seems to have become the main target,” said Hasan Askary, an
analyst, speaking on Dawn Television.


The bombing’s location left no doubt about the insurgent’s motive:
Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence
directorate, is a symbol of the power of the military, which has been
conducting a campaign against Taliban militants in the western mountains
of South Waziristan.


The intelligence agency, know by its initials, ISI, has carried out
operations against Al Qaeda operatives hiding in the western mountains,
and in recent years, it has itself become a target. An ISI building was
attacked this spring in Lahore, one of Pakistan’s largest cities.


Militants have hidden in Pakistan’s western tribal areas for years, but
have only recently begun to attack the state itself. That shift
eventually prompted broad military action, which represented a break
from the past, when the security forces and Pakistani society were
deeply ambivalent about fighting militants.


Now, the military’s offensive in South Waziristan has, in turn, prompted
a sharp increase in insurgent attacks on the police and military, as
well as on public markets and other locations where there have been many
civilian casualties.


Residents in Peshawar said the bomb could be heard around the city,
ratting windows with a big boom. Video on Pakistani television showed a
building whose corner had collapsed, and rescue workers clearing a
closed, debris scattered street.


“It was the biggest explosion I’ve ever heard,” a city resident, Asad
Ali, said, according to Reuters.


Peshawar’s police chief, Liaqat Ali Khan, said a car bomber had attacked
the main gate of the complex, The Associated Press reported.


The United States has pushed Pakistan to take tougher action against
militants in its territory. Pakistan contends that it has taken
comprehensive action, but that it has been hampered by the foundering
American effort in Afghanistan.


This spring, Pakistan’s military conducted a broad campaign against
militants in a valley north of the capital, Islamabad, and was praised
for the relatively low level of civilian casualties. But South
Waziristan is the base of the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, and
military officials believe it will be a more difficult fight.