Peshawar, Pakistan - At least 50 people praying at a mosque in northwest Pakistan were killed Friday in a suicide bombing, the latest in a series of attacks on Pakistani shrines and other places of worship.
The blast, in a village about 20 miles south of Peshawar that is close to the tribal areas where many militant groups are based, caused the mosque's roof to collapse, trapping and crushing scores of worshipers.
At least 100 people were injured, authorities said.
Local television stations reported that the Pakistani Taliban, a coalition of militant organizations based in the rugged northwest mountains, claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Officials said the group was lashing out in retaliation for Pakistani military offensives, which have been underway in several parts of the tribal areas over the past two years.
"The militants are on the run and weakened by the security forces, and therefore they are hitting such weak targets," Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial information minister, told reporters.
Last month, militants carried out deadly bombings on a Sufi shrine in Punjab province and at a mosque near Peshawar.
Pakistani officials and villagers said Friday's bombing might also have been meant to injure security forces stationed near the mosque or a tribal elder whose house is next door to the mosque.
The elder, Malik Wali Khan, was an outspoken anti-Taliban activist who, residents said, helped organize villagers to resist the militants. Villagers said Khan had recently moved to Dubai for security reasons.