Twin mosque bombings in Pakistan kill 13
Iran Press TV
Fri May 17, 2013 1:4PM GMT
More than a dozen worshippers have been killed and many others wounded in bombings at two mosques in violence-wracked northwestern Pakistan, authorities say.
Local security officials said at least 13 people were killed and 45 others injured after bombs hit two mosques during weekly Friday Prayers in Malakand district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
They added that scores of people remained still trapped under rubbles after the deadly explosions.
The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
No person or a group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but suspicion will likely fall on Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The fresh blasts also underline the challenge of militant violence faced by the government of next Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Pakistani Army has launched several operations in the troubled northwest in a bid to flush out militants from the tribal zone.
Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001 when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US on the so-called war against terrorism, according to local media.
Many hundreds have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping across the country.
Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan.
JR/KA
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