Central & South Asia

'Suicide attack' targets Pakistan mosque

Most of at least 22 dead in Khyber tribal area bombing appear to be members of local armed group, officials say. Feedback

At least 22 people have been killed after a suspected suicide attack on a mosque in the northwest Pakistani tribal area of Khyber, local officials say. More than 20 people were wounded in the attack. "The bomber detonated himself near the gate of a mosque in Tirah valley of Khyber tribal region when people were returning from the prayers," Jamilur Rehman, a local administration official, told the AFP news agency. Rehman said the casualty figure was likely to rise. The mosque is located in a part of Khyber controlled by Mangal Bagh, the leader of the Lashkar-e-Islam group, a militia that has been active in the area for several years. Local officials said most of the dead were members of the group. The bomb, which also damaged the mosque, exploded in the same area where officials said a clash earlier in the day had left 10 soldiers and 23 militants dead.

Source: Agencies