PESHAWAR // At least 13 people were killed and more than 50 injured in two attacks in north-western Pakistan claimed by a splinter group of the Taliban.
Most of the casualties were from a suicide bombing at a district court in the town of Mardan that killed 12 people and wounded 54 others. Hours earlier, gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Christian colony near the town of Peshawar, killing one civilian.
Both attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistan Taliban.
Police and the military said militants stormed the Christian neighbourhood early on Friday morning, triggering a shoot-out in which four attackers were killed and one Christian died. Three security officials and two civilian guards were wounded.
Army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said the attack was quickly repulsed and that security forces were searching for any accomplices.
Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony. One of them went into a church, but no one was there at the time. He said the attackers killed one Christian in the neighbourhood. It was not immediately clear if any of the suicide bombers detonated their explosives.
The quick response from the local civilian guards and security forces prevented more deaths, Mr Khan said.
In the town of Mardan, about 40 kilometres from Peshawar, a suicide bomber threw a grenade at the district court before detonating his explosives.
A rescue official said lawyers, policemen and passers-by were among the victims, with some of the wounded in a critical condition.
Police official Ijaz Ahmed Khan said the attacker apparently wanted to target a gathering of lawyers at the bar room but was thwarted by police.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, said the group was responsible for the attack on the Christian colony and the court, and promised more attacks in a statement sent to Reuters.
“We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more,” he said.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and ISIL issued competing claims of responsibility for a bomb blast last month targeting lawyers and journalists gathering outside a hospital in the city of Quetta that killed about 70 people.
Pakistan has been struck by a number of large-scale militant attacks in recent months, including a March suicide bombing targeting Christians celebrating Easter in a park in the city of Lahore that killed about 70 people. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the bombing and warned of further attacks.
Christians are a tiny minority in majority Muslim Pakistan. While some live in Muslim areas, many choose to live in Christian-only neighbourhoods.
* Associated Press with additional reporting from Reuters
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
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Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
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Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay