MINGORA: Thirteen people, including a soldier, were killed and 42 others sustained injuries in a suicide blast at the busy Nishat Chowk in Mingora city in the troubled Swat Valley on Monday.

The militancy-scarred valley was once again soaked in blood when a bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a convoy of security forces driving through the bazaar.The scene was tragic as mutilated bodies were lying on the ground, the injured were writhing in agony in blood-stained clothes, cars were in flames, the street was enveloped by smoke and the people were running for safety. Later, ambulances rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the Saidu Sharif hospital.

Firing was heard in the locality after the attack, which might have been resorted to by security forces to scare away potential terrorists or disperse the people. The attack killed 13 people, including four women, shopping there.

The dead women also included a British national, who had embraced Islam and married a resident of Koza Bandai named Yahya in England a couple of years back. She tied the knot with Yahya’s younger brother Saeed Ahmad when Yahya was killed by militants in August 2008 in Kanju Dherai. She was in the market for shopping but was caught in the explosion like three other women. She was identified as Blenda, though her Muslim name was Amna Khan.

There were reports that the British High Commission had been informed by her husband about the family decision to bury her in Swat. There were reports that a four-month-old infant miraculously survived the blast while his mother was killed.

Women have been visiting markets after security forces wrested control of the valley from the Taliban in 2009. The Nishat Chowk is near Cheena Bazaar, known for women’s shopping. The Taliban had placed a ban on women shopping, particularly in this bazaar, during their hold on the city and the shopkeepers had displayed banners, asking women not to come for shopping.

The dead also included a soldier, identified as Rahim Zada. “Seven people, including a soldier, were killed and 37 others, including two soldiers, were injured in the blast,” said Major Mushtaq, a spokesman for the Army-run Swat Media Centre. He confirmed the attack was a suicide car bombing.

Officials in the hospital said they had received 11 bodies. Some of the deceased were identified as Qasim, Shirin Bahar, Noorani Gul, Nouman of Charsadda, Wali Muhammad, Murad Ali, Hawaldar Rahim Zada, Muhammad Khan and Amna Khan.

They said five seriously injured people had been referred to Peshawar. The officials said they had run out of blood at the hospital and messages were sent out to the people to donate blood.

The blast destroyed several cars parked at the site of the explosion. Eyewitnesses said 12 shops had completely been destroyed. They said security forces cordoned off the area

after the blast. Shopkeepers shuttered their shops and people rushed to their homes.

APP adds: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti in their separate statements condemned the suicide blast in Mingora.

They said such acts of cowardice cannot dent the governmentís resolve to root out terrorism. They prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.