The deadliest blast was a suicide attack at a mosque inside a religious school in South Waziristan, said an intelligence official in the region. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the orders set down by his agency. He said Maulana Noor Mohammad, a former lawmaker who ran the school, was among the 16 dead.
Yar Mohammad, a local tribesman who was present inside the mosque, also said it was a suicide blast.
There was no claim of responsibility, though militants have often attacked clerics or others who do not support them. It was unclear whether Mohammad fell into that category. Militant and tribal factions also fight among themselves. Earlier, a bomb exploded inside a school during a meeting of elders in Kurram, killing seven people.
Local official Khalid Umerzai said the elders at the meeting were discussing a disagreement over ownership of the school building. It wasn’t clear if the blast was tied to that dispute or if it had been launched by militants. The army has launched offensives in South Waziristan and Kurram over the last 18 months. There is little or no government presence in either area.
