At least 23 killed, several injured in Tirah Valley suicide blast

Source­s say the blast occurr­ed shortl­y after Friday prayer­s.

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber targeted a mosque in the Tirah Valley of  and killed at least 23 people, while several sustained injuries, local sources said.

Sources said that the blast occurred shortly after Friday prayers.

“The bomber detonated himself near the gate of a mosque in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency when people were returning from the prayers,” local administration official Jamilur Rehman told AFP, adding that the casualty numbers may rise, he said.

The mosque is located in an area controlled by warlord Mangal Bagh, he said explaining that “most of the dead belonged to Lashkar-i-Islam group lead by Mangal Bagh.”

Tirah Valley is the area of Khyber Agency that borders with Orakzai and is a stronghold of militants and administratively, it comes under Bara.

The Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency is considered to be a Lashkar-e-Islam stronghold. The militants are present in the area despite a three-year counter-insurgency operation by security forces.

The bomb, which also damaged the mosque, exploded in the same area where officials said a clash earlier in the day had left 10 soldiers and 23 militants dead.