Afghan Rebel Arms Dumps Explode in Pakistan, Killing 18
Two huge ammunition dumps used by Afghan guerrillas exploded and caught fire in northwestern Pakistan, raining missiles over a wide area and killing at least 18 people and injuring eight others, police said Thursday.
“We had this incredible shower of missiles, which spread terror and forced the people to run for shelter,” said one witness reached by telephone from Peshawar.
Police said the blasts occurred at about 4 p.m. Wednesday near the village of Gharam Chasma, about 25 miles from the Afghan border in northwestern Pakistan.
The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, police said.
Officials have charged agents of the Communist government in neighboring Afghanistan with staging hundreds of bomb attacks that have killed scores of people in Pakistan over the last few years.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
