2 bombs kill 23 in northwest Pakistan

[August 23, 2010]  PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Two bomb attacks killed at least 23 people Monday in tribally administered regions in Pakistan close to the Afghan border, officials and a witness said.

The deadliest blast was a suicide attack at a mosque inside a religious school in South Waziristan, said an intelligence official in the region. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the orders set down by his agency.

He said Maulana Noor Mohammad, a former lawmaker who ran the school, was among the 16 dead.

Yar Mohammad, a local tribesman who was present inside the mosque, also said it was a suicide blast.

There was no claim of responsibility, though Islamist militants have often attacked clerics or others who do not support them. It was unclear whether Mohammad fell into that category. Militant and tribal factions also fight among themselves.

Earlier, a bomb exploded inside a school during a meeting of elders in Kurram, killing seven people.

Local official Khalid Umerzai said the elders at the meeting were discussing a disagreement over ownership of the school building. It wasn't clear if the blast was tied to that dispute or if it had been launched by Islamist militants.

The army has launched offensives in South Waziristan and Kurram over the last 18 months.

There is little or no government presence in either area.

[Associated Press; By HUSSAIN AFZAL]

Associated Press sriter Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Ishtiaq Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan contributed to this report.

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