Pakistan’s Pakhtunkhwa Province Hit By Suicide Bomber. Dozen Killed, Half-Ton Injured

At least a dozen people have been killed and half-ton others injured after a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the city of Mardan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Friday.

According to district mayor Himatyat Ullah, an armed attacker first attacked the security guards of the district court with hand grenade and then exploded himself.

The victims include several lawyers and it is said the death toll may rise.

Hours before the incident the Pakistani army killed four suicide bombers in a Christian neighborhood resulting with step up of security around churches in the Peshawar province and other places in Pakistan.

Two soldiers, a police guard and two civilians were wounded too in the firefight with attackers.

Pakistani Taliban named as Jamaatul Ahrah (JuA) claimed responsibility of the attacks.

However, the claim is still unverified.

Last month a similar suicide attack outside a hospital in Quetta city killed about a ton people and most of them were lawyers.

Recently the United States designated JuA as a global terrorist organization and Pakistan alleges the group operates out of Afghanistan’s border and is supported by the intelligence agency of neighboring country.

A day before Pakistan claimed it has cleared northwestern semiautonomous tribal districts of militant networks.

Army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa said they have arrested over 300 ISIS-linked militants from the area.