A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque packed with worshippers for Friday prayers, killing at least 16 people and injuring 35 others in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan’s restive northwest tribal region.
The attacker blew himself when the prayers was in progress at the mosque in the Anbar tehsil of the agency bordering Afghanistan.
“It was a suicide blast,” a local official said. At least 16 people were killed in the attack, local media reported, citing officials.
“Many people were gathered inside the mosque when a suicide bomber blew himself up,” an eyewitness said.
Rescue teams and police rushed to the spot. The bodies and the injured are being shifted to local hospitals for medical treatment.
Injured were also transported to hospitals in Bajaur Agency, Charsadda and Peshawar for treatment.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Pakistani Taliban routinely targets courts, schools and mosques.
The attack came on a day when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to continue the war against militancy and terrorism till elimination of the last terrorist.
During a meeting with Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Friday, the prime minister expressed the resolve to continue the war against terrorism and militancy.
The army had launched operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ in June 2014 to flush out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas.
