Pakistani female suicide bomber kills woman at bomb blast site

PESHAWAR – A burka-clad female suicide bomber struck in the heart of Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar yesterday, killing…

PESHAWAR – A burka-clad female suicide bomber struck in the heart of Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar yesterday, killing a woman, hours after a bomb blast killed five policemen and a child in the same area.

The bombings occurred near a police checkpoint in the city where al-Qaeda and Taliban militants often stage attacks. Police said the attacks could have been co-ordinated.

Women suicide bombers are rare in Pakistan, and women often pass checkpoints without being searched. The bomber, who police said was about 25 years old, was wearing an explosive vest. She threw a grenade before blowing herself up near the checkpoint, a police official said. – (Reuters)