Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Suicide Bomber Attacks Funeral in Northwest Pakistan
Pakistani officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the country's northwest, killing at least 36 people and wounding at least 60 others.
Officials say the attack Wednesday targeted a group of about 200 mourners attending a funeral near the city of Peshawar. The funeral was for the wife of an anti-Taliban tribal militiaman from an area known for bloody clashes between Taliban and pro-government fighters.
The bombing comes a day after a car bombing killed at least 24 people near the offices of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the eastern city of Faisalabad.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Tuesday's blast, which also wounded more than 125 people.
A Taliban spokesman said the group was targeting the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, in retaliation for the killing of a Taliban commander in the city.
The car bomb ignited gas cylinders at a nearby service station, triggering an even bigger blast that damaged several buildings -- including an office of Pakistan's state airline.
Piles of bricks from the destroyed service station and scraps of metal from damaged cars littered the scene as rescue workers pulled victims from the rubble.
Faisalabad is home to Pakistan's textile industry.