Bomb attacks in Pak: Taliban claims responsibility

The Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for a series of suicide attacks in Pakistan, including the bombing of Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar. "We claimed responsibility for these attacks," said a telephone caller who introduced himself as Saeed Hafiz, a deputy of Hakeemullah Mehsud based in Orakzai tribal region.

"We claimed responsibility of suicide attacks at the seminary in Lahore and a mosque in Nowshera," the Tahrik-i-Taliban Pakistan leader was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

He said the Taliban outfit owned responsibility for the hotel bombing in Peshawar on Tuesday night and added that video of bomb attack would be released soon. The Pakistani Taliban leader cited bombing of seminaries in Hangu and Orakzai several days ago by security forces as the reason for TTP carrying out an attack at the hotel.

He said that suicide attacks at a seminary in Lahore and a mosque in Nowshera were in response to Thursday's bombing in Hangu and military operations in Swat, Bannu and South Waziristan.

Besides, he condemned the murder of Maulana Muhammad Amin and several "innocent" people killed in air strike in Shahukhel area of Hangu district. The TTP leader, however, expressed ignorance about the firing incident at the residence of Corps Commander Peshawar on Thursday night.