A car bomb and gun attack on a Pakistani mosque near a police compound killed at least 31
A vehicle packed with explosives rammed a mosque adjoining a police compound in northwestern Pakistan, with gunmen following up with small-arms fire; the blast and gunfire killed at least 31 people, including a four-year-old child, and wounded dozens more. Pakistani security forces surrounded the area and, after a standoff lasting roughly 20 hours, declared the attack over. No group had claimed responsibility as the week closed, but the attack fits a pattern of militant violence against security installations in Pakistan's northwest, where insurgent groups have stepped up operations against police and paramilitary targets over the past year. The bombing was among the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security infrastructure in recent months and renewed pressure on Islamabad to address an insurgency that shows little sign of retreat.
