Bombing at Mosque in Pakistan Kills 22

A bomb was detonated near a mosque in Parachinar, Pakistan, on Friday morning, killing at least 22 people and injuring at least 70 more. Reuters reports the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the explosion, which went off at about 11:30 a.m. near the site’s women’s entrance while attendees gathered for Friday prayers near the Shia mosque. “The attack took place in a busy area and a women’s mosque appears to be the target,” said parliamentarian Sajid Hussain. He described the bombing, which was reportedly preceded by gunfire, as a suicide attack. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, in a statement, that the bombing highlights the need for the government’s “unflinching resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country at all costs.”