7 killed as militants attack electricity plant in Pakistan

PanARMENIAN.Net - At least seven people have been killed in an attack by dozens of militants on an electricity plant in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say, according to BBC News.

A policeman and a plant employee were killed on the spot and 10 people were taken hostage, police said. Five bodies were later recovered from a nearby field but the whereabouts of the five remaining hostages are unknown.

No group has said it carried out the raid, but the Taliban frequently launch attacks in the region. The attack temporarily disrupted power to parts of the city - the supply has now been restored.

The assault by heavily armed militants took place in the early hours of Tuesday, April 2 in the southern Badh Bher suburb of the city, an area frequently targeted by militants, correspondents say.

"They attacked the power station at around 02:30 (2130 GMT Monday). They killed two officials on the spot and abducted 10 others," said Javed Khan, a senior police official in the area.

The BBC says that there had been fears militants would step up attacks in advance of elections to be held in May.