A suicide blast outside the emergency ward of a hospital crowded with Shi'ite Muslim mourners in Pakistan's volatile north-west killed at least 27 people, including two police.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast in Dera Ismail Khan, saying it was targeting security forces. But others said the motive appeared to be sectarian, noting the area has experienced much friction between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.
The attack occurred a day after Pervez Musharraf stepped down as Pakistan's president, adding to uncertainty about the new government's approach to tackling extremist violence.
It also came as more killings were reported in a north-west tribal region where military clashes with insurgents have reportedly killed hundreds and spurred threats of militant revenge.
Mohsin Shah, a top district official, said sectarian conflicts have spawned several targeted killings in recent weeks. He said a Shi'ite man shot earlier yesterday in the centre of the city was taken to the hospital where he died from the wound.
"Dozens of people from the Shi'ite community had gathered at the hospital where the bomb went off," Shah said.
Dera Ismail Khan police chief Nasir Mahmood said the blast claimed 27 lives, including two police, and wounded 35 people.
"I can confirm that it was a suicide blast," Mahmood said, adding that authorities found what were believed to be the attacker's legs. "We have begun an investigation to see how the attacker approached the mourners and what he looked like. We are collecting evidence."
Maulvi Umar, spokesman for Pakistan's Taliban movement, claimed responsibility in an interview with the AP. He said the mourners were not the target of the blast.
"What we are seeing is no change in the Pakistan government policies after Musharraf," Umar said, referring to ongoing military operations.
"We want the government to change its policies. This is not a sectarian attack. We take its responsibility."
A week ago, a bombing in the main northwest city of Peshawar destroyed an air force truck and killed up to 14 people. The Pakistani Taliban claimed they staged it in response to recent military offensives.
Blood, glass, shoes and body parts littered the scene at Dera Ismail Khan District Hospital, while weeping mourners, some beating their chests, shifted bodies.
Murtajiz Hussain, 26, was soaked in blood as he helped remove bodies from the scene, and gave first aid to the wounded.
"We have gathered at the hospital when a bomb went off," he said. "Everybody was running recklessly. It was smoke everywhere."
Pakistan's northwest has been plagued for years with militant and sectarian violence.
The country is majority Sunni, but has a sizable Shi'ite population.
Most people from both sects live together peacefully, though extremists from both sides target each others' activists and leaders.
The Sunni-Shi'ite schism over the true heir to Islam's Prophet Mohammed dates back to the seventh century.
Pakistan's north-west tribal regions along the Afghan border, meanwhile, are considered havens for Taliban and al-Qaeda linked insurgents, many of whom are believed involved in attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
In recent weeks, the military has battled insurgents in Bajur tribal region.
Security forces killed 11 suspected militants and five civilians in the area today.
