Suicide bomber kills 12, injures 20 in South Waziristan town

Jandola (South Waziristan, Pakistan), Mar.26 (ANI): At least twelve people were killed in a suicide bomb blast at a restaurant in South Waziristan's Jandola town on Thursday.

A BBC report said that 20 people were injured in the explosion.

It quoted officials as saying that a group of militants opposed to Pakistan Taleban commander Baitullah Mehsud were in the restaurant at the time of the blast.

Some of the injured were reported to be in a critical condition and officials said the number of dead could rise.

According to the BBC, the bomber walked into the restaurant on Thursday morning and blew himself up. The premise was completed destroyed as a result.

The attack targeted Turkistan Bittani, a pro-government tribal leader who is a rival of Mehsud.

Bittani, who was helping the military take on Mehsud, had left the restaurant minutes before the attack.

Mehsud is one of the most wanted Taleban militants operating on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He is suspected of masterminding dozens of suicide attacks across Pakistan as well as attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Thursday's attack came a day after a suspected US missile strike in South Waziristan killed seven Arab militants. It also followed an announcement on Wednesday by the US State Department of a five million dollar bounty for information leading to the capture of Mehsud. (ANI)