Islamabad: A teenage would-be suicide
bomber who was arrested when he tried to blow himself up at a
revered Sufi shrine in Pakistan`s Punjab province on Friday
claimed that up to 350 suicide bombers were being trained in
Taliban-run camps in North Waziristan tribal region.
Umar Fidai, aged 14 or 15 years, was arrested during a
suicide attack on Sakhi Sarwar shrine near Dera Ghazi Khan on
April 3 that killed 50 people.
Umar was seriously injured by an explosion while his
colleague Ismail carried out the attack by detonating his
explosive vest.
In interviews to several TV news channels, Umar
claimed up to 350 suicide bombers were being trained in the
Mir Ali region of North Waziristan Agency.
He said Arabs, Uzbeks and Tajiks are among the
militants active in the region.
Despite tremendous pressure from the US, Pakistan has
so far refused to move troops into North Waziristan to flush
out Taliban militants.
It has contended that its troops are conducting
operations in several areas and cannot launch a fresh offensive in North Waziristan.
Umar, who claimed he was a Class 10 student, said his
mission was to strike the Sakhi Sarwar shrine half an hour
after the first attack so that people gathered at the site
could be targeted.
"I was studying in Esa Khel area of North Waziristan.
Once when I was going home from school, Qari Zafar, who was
in-charge of the Taliban suicide squad, met me and told me
that there is no benefit in schooling. I was told that
children who carry out fidai (martyrdom) attacks will go to
paradise," Umar told the media at a hospital in Dera Ghazi
Khan, where he is being treated.
Umar said Qari Zafar had convinced him to join a
training centre so that he could carry out a `fidai` attack
and go to `jannat` (paradise).
"I joined the training center in North Waziristan and
stayed there for five to six months. Two other children
Naeemullah and Ismail were also there," he said.
He claimed he was told the boys would go to
Afghanistan to carry attack as the militants did not strike
within Pakistan.
"But they brought me to Dera Ghazi Khan. I told
Naeemullah that this is Pakistan but he said these people are
worse than Americans as they bow to human beings in shrines,"
he said.
"I refused to carry out attack. But they told me that
the people at the shrine are infidels and we will hit them.
Ismail carried out the attack. Naeemullah left before the
attack. I tried to blow myself up after half an hour but it
did not happen," he added.
Umar apologized to the people, saying he had realized
that he made a mistake by joining an attack that resulted in
the death of Muslims.
"I am ashamed. Allah has given me a new life and I
will not do it again. I will go back my home and will learn.
Suicide attacks are contrary to Islam, which teaches us
unity," he said.
He claimed a commander known as Mullah Sangin Khan was
the chief of the camp where he trained.
Khan was from Afghanistan and is associated with the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, he said.
PTI
