Pakistan army admits civilians killed in recent airstrikes in northwest, apologizes

Pakistan army admits civilian killed in airstrikes

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan’s army has admitted that civilians were killed in air raids supposedly targeting militants in the northwest last week.

An army statement Saturday did not say how many innocents were killed in the raids, but apologized for them.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Two suicide bombers attacked refugees Saturday as they lined up for food at a camp for people fleeing military offensives in northwestern Pakistan, killing 20 people and wounding about 50 others, police said.

The bombers struck six minutes apart at a camp in the Kacha Pukka area of Kohat, a tribally administered region close to the Afghan border, local police Chief Rashid Khan said.

Pakistan has been hit by near-daily explosions over the last 18 months blamed on al-Qaida and Taliban militants. Most have been directed at security or government installations, but civilians have also been targeted.

The camp hit Saturday was for people who had fled the Orakzai district, where the army has been fighting militants since the end of last year. The tempo of the operations has picked since March, with frequent aerial bombardment.

Khan said at least 20 people were killed and 50 others wounded in the twin bombings.

There was no claim of responsibility, but that is not unusual in instances where ordinary Pakistani citizens are victims of bomb attacks.

Earlier, an official said security forces backed by artillery and helicopters killed at least 25 militants in Orakzai late Friday.

About 210,000 civilians have fled from Orakzai since the fighting began at the end of last year, including nearly 50,000 people who have left in the last month when ground forces moved into the area to flush out insurgents.

There have been fewer bombings in major cities outside of the northwest during the first three months of this year compared to late last year. The slowdown follows a major offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region, where many militants had been based.