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.
COMMENTS (29)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1732745394-0/Diddy-(4)1732745394-0-165x106.webp "article")
@Strigon: "Its no use…The day they started killing other Muslims esp. in mosques is when they gave up their humanity "
Interesting. SO in your opinion as long as they were killing non-Muslims they were humane?
The way this goes on is scary. Extremist should understand killing everybody will not change anything but destroys the religion (in which name they are killing) as no one will be left alive to follow it.
Religion of pieces ? Really sad to see so many innocent people dying for no fault of theirs.....
Sick of these liberal muslims reading and commenting on this website...this excuse of suicide bombing is pretty old now and needs to be exposed....these 'so-called' suicide blasts....about 10 years have passed now and they haven't identified one single suicide bomber...there are over 50 scientific ways to identify dead bodies...scientists can identify completely burnt bodies through DNA but never in Pakistan has a suicide bomber be identified...they have families, brothers,sisters....where do they come from?...afterall they are not born without parents in madrassas...so these are all LIES.....not once we have found who it was...this makes me think whether these blasts are actually suicide or pre-planned conventional bomb blasts?
@Cautious: because they were trained there.....
@Bangladeshi: I have been following your comments for a long time now. In some comment you claim to be a Pakistani and on others a Bangladeshi and now an Indian. The only person who hold so many passports must be ISI agent.
@Sundeep:
"Major reason for it is Pakistan’s lack of ability to provide education and employment to its people. "
That is too simplistic an analysis. Many Pakistanis caught in Europe, UK, USA etc. for terror acts are all well-off and educated. I am afraid there is much deeper reasons why Pakistan has become a global center for terrorism.
First, the Pakistani establishment has been systematically grooming Islamic Jihadist terrorists as assets to be used against its neighbors (India, Afghanistan) for over three decades. Right from the formation of the country, Pakistani leaders have been poisoning the minds of young people by teaching them distorted history and glorification of Jihad against non-Muslims. Just read Pakistani textbooks. Discriminatory Islamic laws such as blasphemy, hadood etc. have been made part of Pakistani constitution and judicial system.
Another factor is that Saudi Arabia has been pumping money to preach radical Islamism to Pakistani masses.
All this has resulted in Pakistanis, both rich and poor, both educated and the illiterate, becoming highly radicalized as reflected in polls that show that over 80% of Pakistanis support radical and dogmatic edicts advocated by Salafi/Deobandi Islamists.
These lives are no less valuable than the ones who died in an arguable accidental-bombing by NATO at the checkpoints. But unfortunate, that the "Difa" seems to initiate only against external elements, while the house itself is on fire.
@shaheenshaheen2: Seriously? You think this has something to do with America?
@shaheenshaheen2:
Its no use...The day they started killing other Muslims esp. in mosques is when they gave up their humanity and religion. Its on our fate to have maximum amount of traitors.
@Sundeep:
I totally agree with you. You have hit the nail right at its head.
A lesson to all Pakistanis -- Too much religion is bad for health. Be secular now. Its now or never.
When was the last time anyone else but a Pakistani involved in a suicide blast in Pakistan? Its like they value their after life than their present. Major reason for it is Pakistan's lack of ability to provide education and employment to its people. With less than 50% literacy rate, an average Pakistani is easily swayed to believe that God would condone a sacrifice of life in his name. I also blame Urdu media to glorify such acts. Shame.
People complain about the Americans but the sad fact is Pakistani muslims kill more muslims than america ever has
Now that summer is back, the bombs are back too.
and we call ourselves as MUSLIM. How sad it is.
Would any lawyer demand for Blasphemy law revoked against these perpetrators of humanity,instead of petitioning in court to arrest face book founder under Blasphemy law?
How much blood the land of Pakistan will absorb?
Oh C'mon... People are dying yaar... What the hell is our army doing?? Generals... where the hell are you..!!!??
How can a muslim kill other muslims? and after Jummah prayers? WHY?! I hate people like them with a passion. Pathetic.
Someone please explain why Pakistani terrorist seem to prefer blowing people up in or around Mosque?
stop fighting each other my muslim brothers.why have we involved ourself in this american war.why are we fighting our brothers for america?there is bound to be reaction.may Allah(swt) grant Jannah to all.
Another day, Another Blast !!!