35 Dead in Suicide Bombing at Pakistan Funeral

Service for police superintendent targeted
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 29, 2008 4:05 PM CST
35 Dead in Suicide Bombing at Pakistan Funeral
Troops of the Pakistan army patrol in the troubled area of Matta near Mingora in northwest Pakistan on Monday, Jan, 28, 2008. A suicide bombing at a Mingora funeral killed at least 35 today. (AP Photo/Sherin Zada)   (Associated Press)

At least 35 people were killed and at least 60 injured today when a suicide bomber struck a funeral in northwest Pakistan' near the border with Afghanistan, the AP reports. The funeral in the Swat Valley drew 800 mourners for a police official killed today by a roadside bomb in the region, rife with conflict between authorities and pro-Taliban forces.

The explosion occurred as pallbearers moved the coffin to the grave. “As the coffin was lifted I moved toward the gate but suddenly a big explosion took place, which dashed me against the gate,” said a policeman. “It was hell.” The Swat Valley, once a tourist destination, has become a key recruiting ground for the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the BBC reports. (More Pakistan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X