Volleyball Murders

“Ninety-three people are confirmed dead after the bombing in Lakki Marwat, and daylight has exposed the true horror, says a BBC correspondent. Police say old people and children were watching the game when the bomber drove his vehicle onto the field. It was the deadliest attack since a Peshawar bombing in October killed 120. More than 600 people have died in militant attacks in Pakistan since the beginning of October, most of them believed to be in reprisal for the Pakistan army’s new campaign against the Taliban. An attack on a sporting event is unusual, and no group has admitted the blast, but analysts say that is not uncommon when large numbers of civilians are killed. Police say it may have been retaliation for attempts by Lakki Marwat residents to get rid of militants. ‘Locals set up a militia and expelled the militants from this area. This attack seems to be a reaction to their expulsion,’ district police chief Ayub Khan told AFP news agency. The BBC’s Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad that among those killed are believed to be members of a local peace committee who have been campaigning for an end to the violence.”