At least 50 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb early Friday at a mosque outside the home of Pakistan's former interior minister, officials said.
Pakistani security officials and local residents look at belongings of the victims of a suicide bombing Friday in Sherpao, northeast of Peshawar, Pakistan.
(Mohammad Zubair/Associated Press)
Aftab Khan Sherpao, who is running for parliament in general elections next month, was not hurt in the strike, in what appeared to be the second attack against him in eight months. But one of his sons was wounded.
It comes less than a week after President Pervez Musharraf ended a state of emergency in the embattled country, which has been plagued by several suicide attacks as it heads into the January election. Most of the attacks have been on government installations in the country's northwestern region.
The blast sprayed ball bearings and nails amid worshippers holding prayers for the Eid holy day at the mosque in Sherpao's residential compound in Sherpao, a village 40 kilometres northeast of the city of Peshawar, a witness said.
District Mayor Farman Ali Khan said between 50 and 55 people were killed. Local police Chief Feroz Shah said more than 100 were wounded.
Provincial police Chief Sharif Virk said the bomber was praying in a row of worshippers when he detonated the explosive.
"We were saying prayers when this huge explosion occurred," said Shaukat Ali, 26, whose white cloak and pants were torn and spattered with blood. "It almost blew out our eardrums. Then it was like a scene from doomsday."
Former security official unharmed
Bloodied clothes, hats and shoes were strewn about the building. Witnesses said the dead included police officers guarding Sherpao, who was Pakistan's top civilian security official in the administration that recently was dissolved ahead of the elections.
In April, 28 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a rally for Sherpao's political party in the nearby town of Charsadda. Sherpao was slightly wounded.
But although election-related violence is common in Pakistan, suspicion over the bombing will likely focus on the pro-Taliban or al-Qaeda militants active in the northwestern region of the country where the attack occurred.
Islamic militants have repeatedly targeted top figures in the Musharraf government.
Musharraf himself narrowly escaped assassination in two bombings a few days apart in December 2003 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. At least 16 others died.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
Internal Links
Video
- Graham Usher reports for CBC-TV (Runs: 2:20)
- Play: Real Media »
- Play: QuickTime »
More World Headlines »
- 2nd soldier killed in Afghan rollover identified
- The Canadian military has identified a second soldier killed in Afghanistan over the weekend in a vehicle rollover during a mission in the volatile Zhari district of southern Afghanistan.
- UN chief says 2008 is year of the 'bottom billion'
- The United Nations will focus on improving quality of life for the poorest people in the world in 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.
- Kenyan political rivals agree to meet
- Kenya's president on Monday invited his chief political rival to his official residence to discuss how to end the country's post-election violence, just hours after the opposition called off planned protest rallies amid fears they could renew violence.
- Thai police officer charged in Calgarian's death
- A Calgary man who was shot to death in Thailand was defending her, a B.C. woman said from her hospital bed as Thai police charged one of their own in the incident.
- Obama, McCain make surges in N.H. polls
- U.S. Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are campaigning hard with their messages to New Hampshire voters on Monday, just 24 hours ahead of the state's critical primary ballot.
World Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window
