Islamabad: At least twelve persons were killed and dozens more injured when a powerful blast ripped through a refugee camp at Nowshera in Pakistan's restive northwest on Thursday, officials and witnesses said.
The blast occurred shortly before noon near the administration block of the sprawling Jalozai camp, which houses both Afghan refugees and people displaced by recent fighting in the northwest. Police officials told the media four persons were killed. TV news channels reported that about 30 people, including several women, were injured.
The car bomb, which was heard from several kilometers away, went off at a time when a large number of people had gathered in the area to register themselves or to collect rations distributed by relief organisations.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Those in a serious condition were sent to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Witnesses said that the blast was caused by explosives hidden in a car that was parked in the area. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan's northwest has witnessed a spike in militant violence ahead of the general election scheduled to be held on May 11. The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan recently suspended its offer for peace talks with the government and warned it would attack several political parties during the election campaign, including the Pakistan Peoples Party.
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