Rawalpindi Mosque Attacked, 35 Killed

At least 35 people were killed and tens others wounded as two suicide bombers barged into a mosque near Pakistan’s army headquarters during Friday prayers, triggering a fusillade of bullets the attackers threw grenades before blowing themselves up in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.

Reacting to the attack, choppers were pressed in to provide air surveillance as truckloads of commandos cordoned off the area amid ambulance sirens and cries of pain.

The attack, the third terror incident in Rawalpindi , started when armed attackers triggered an explosion to breach a security checkpoint on the edge of the high security area, police officials were reported as saying.

The attack is a grim reminder of the continuing resilience of militant networks in Pakistan that has killed over 400 people in the country in recent months.

On Oct. 10 militants launched a raid on the army headquarters, the ensuing standoff that lasted nearly 24 hours killed 23 people including the nine gunmen in Rawalpindi. On Nov. 2 a suicide bomber killed 35 people in the same city.

Army officials later said that two of the attackers managed to enter the mosque and sprayed bullets on the worshippers and threw grenades.