12 killed in Pakistan bomb blast

A suicide bomb attack has been carried out in Peshawar, Pakistan. It is estimated that 12 people have been killed and more than 30 were injured from the explosion.

The bomb went off at a crowded city cattle market and it is thought the target of the attack was a mayor who was working against the Taliban. He was killed in the explosion. There have been a string of attacks recently, carried out by extremists in response to military action centered on South Waziristan. The Taliban have since admitted responsibility for the attack. Abdul Malik, the mayor for Adizai, who was a known opponent of the Taliban, was hurt in the explosion and was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries. Police say the mayor had been pursued by the suicide bomber who launched his attack when Abdul Malik left his car. The explosion was forceful, killing those close to it and damaging surrounding vehicles. The mayor had previously backed the Taliban but more recently had established a tribal army to fight against them. Sahibzada Anis, who works as a senior regional official in Peshawar, told the BBC, "Malik had survived several attacks on his life in the recent past, since he turned against the militants. But today the militants have finally killed him,"