Peshawar, September 16 (NIA): At least 24 worshippers were killed and 29 wounded when a suicide bomber, believed to be of the Pakistan Taliban, targeted a mosque in the Anbar Tehsil in the Mohmand (Tribal) Agency during prayers on Friday.
Dawn News said that a source in the Security Forces confirmed that it was a suicide the quoted the Assistant Political Agent, Naveed Akbar, as saying that the injured had been transported to hospitals in Bajaur Agency, Charsadda, and Peshawar for treatment.
a security source confirmed the explosion was a suicide blast.
The source said that the suicide bomber blew himself up in the veranda of the mosque.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely attack soft targets such as courts, schools and mosques.
The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Security has since improved though scattered attacks still take place.
On April 20, two people, including a former commander of a peace committee, were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion on Wednesday.
The attack occurred in Davizai area of Mohmand agency.
The former commander, Malik Rahman, and his friend were riding a motorbike when the IED exploded, said a member of the political administration.
Jamatul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade.
On February 18, at least nine personnel of the Khasadar force were killed in two separate attacks in Mohmand district of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas on Thursday, officials said.
Seven Khasadar personnel were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire at a security checkpost in Karapa area of Pandyali tehsil in Mohmand Agency.
The Jamatul Ahrar faction of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said in a statement.
Assistant political agent Mohmand Agency Naveed Akbar said the militant targeted security officials late in the night while they were stationed at the Karapa checkpost. After killing seven Khasadar men, the militant managed to flee, he said.
In a separate attack, miscreants opened fire at two Khasadar personnel in Machni area of Mohmand Agency.
The incident occurred late in the night when the deceased personnel Taj Ali and Bilal were on duty at a solar tubewell in the area.
All casualties were shifted to district headquarters hospital Ghalanai in Mohmand Agency.
Akbar told Dawn News that a search and strike operation was carried out in the surrounding areas where the incidents took place.
Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade
