Holy day suicide bombing in Pakistan kills 13

The Baltimore Sun

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- An apparent suicide bombing killed at least 13 people yesterday in this volatile border city, a day after a suicide attack killed a bomber and a hotel security guard in the Pakistani capital.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack in Peshawar, which came during the year's most important Shiite Muslim holiday, was an act of sectarian violence or was aimed at police and paramilitary forces. Nearly all the dead were reported to be police officers, including the city's police chief.

Scores of people were wounded in the blast, which took place near one of the city's largest mosques before the start of a Shiite procession to commemorate the festival of Ashura.

Adding to the chaos, a power failure apparently caused by the explosion plunged the area into darkness. Rescuers groped their way in the dark, guided by the cries and moans of the injured.

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