Suicide bomber hits Pakistan militant base, 23 people die

A Pakistani official says a suicide bomber has killed 23 people, many of them believed to be militants, in an attack on the base of a rival insurgent group.

A Pakistani official says a suicide bomber has killed 23 people, many of them believed to be militants, in an attack on the base of a rival insurgent group.

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Friday's bombing took place in the Tirah Valley region close to the border with Afghanistan.

Political administration official Iqbal Khan says the target of the bombing was the base of the Lashkar-e-Islam group.

He didn't immediately know how many of those killed were militants and how many were civilians.

A commander of the Pakistani Taliban, which is a rival of Lashkar-e-Islam, claimed responsibility for the attack in a call to an Associated Press reporter.

The commander gave his name as Mohammed.

Both groups have been fighting for control of the Tirah Valley.