Bomb blast at hospital kills 23 in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan-A suspected suicide bomber killed 23 people in the compound of a hospital in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday as members of a religious minority were holding a protest, police said.Violence in northwest Pakistan is a major test for the coalition government led by the party of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, especially after the resignation of former army chief Pervez Musharraf as president on Monday. The bomb went off outside a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, 280 km (175 miles) southwest of Islamabad, as Shi'ite Muslims were protesting against the killing of a leader. Gunmen shot the leader earlier and his body had been taken to the hospital.North West Frontier Province police chief Naveed Malik Khan said 23 people had been killed in the blast, and up to 20 wounded. He said Sunni Muslim militants were believed responsible."This area has been hit by sectarian violence for many years and this is also a sectarian-related incident," Khan said.Most of the dead were protesters, a city official said.Musharraf oversaw security after he threw Pakistan's support behind the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism. His departure has raised questions about the government's commitment, even though it has made security a priority.The United States and other allies are keen to see Islamabad turn its attention to security and pressing economic problems now that the controversy over Musharraf is out of the way.
To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL17301120080819
As in the days of Noah...