A suicide bomber has blown himself up at an army parade ground in north-west Pakistan, killing at least 35 soldiers, officials say.
A suicide bomber has killed at least 35 soldiers at an army training school in north-west Pakistan, officials say.
About 20 people were wounded in the attack, which happened at a training ground in the town of Dargai in North West Frontier province.
It is one of the heaviest attacks on the army since it began taking on militants based close to the border with Afghanistan.
Dargai is said to be a stronghold of a pro-Taleban militant group.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
It happened in the town of Dargai in North West Frontier Province, not far from where the army said it killed some 80 militants last week.
The BBC's M Ilyas Khan says Wednesday's attack could undermine recent agreements between the military and pro-Taleban militants in other border areas.
Emotions in the region have been running high since an air strike on a religious school (madrassa) last week in the neighbouring area of Bajaur, in which the army said 80 militants were killed.
Local people insisted the dead were innocent religious students.
'Expected'
The army base targeted in Wednesday's suicide bombing is about 40km (30 miles) south-east of the bombed madrassa.
"The attack was carried out by a man who got down from a car wearing a chaddor [cloak] and walked into the parade," Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said.
MAJOR ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN 14 people killed in car bomb explosion in Karachi in May 200212 people killed in a car bomb explosion on Karachi in June 2002Up to 47 people killed in suicide attack inside a mosque in Quetta in July 200315 killed in suicide attack on President Pervez Musharraf's motorcade in December 2002. Gen Musharraf is unhurtAt least 44 people killed in a sectarian attack in Quetta in March 2004At least 40 people killed in a car bomb explosion at a rally in Multan in October 200443 people killed in a bomb explosion at a shrine in Balochistan in March 200557 people killed in a suicide attack on a religious congregation in Karachi in April 2006
"After the Bajaur incident this was expected, but we will continue the fight against terror. We condemn it, innocent lives were lost."
An eyewitness, Aurangzeb, told the BBC he saw soldiers picking up scattered body parts minutes after the explosion.
An eyewitness, Aurangzeb, told the BBC he saw soldiers picking up scattered body parts minutes after the explosion.
"The victims were dying. Their shoes and caps were scattered all over the place," he said.
"The victims were dying. Their shoes and caps were scattered all over the place," he said.
It appeared that most of the men who died were military recruits who had been doing morning exercises.
It appeared that most of the men who died were military recruits who had been doing morning exercises.
"This is a terrorist act that appears to be a suicide bombing and we are investigating," military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said.
Up to 20 soldiers were wounded in the attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Dargai is a stronghold of a banned pro-Taleban movement, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-Mohammadi (TNSM).
MAJOR ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN 14 people killed in car bomb explosion in Karachi in May 200212 people killed in a car bomb explosion on Karachi in June 2002Up to 47 people killed in suicide attack inside a mosque in Quetta in July 200315 killed in suicide attack on President Pervez Musharraf's motorcade in December 2002. Gen Musharraf is unhurtAt least 44 people killed in a sectarian attack in Quetta in March 2004At least 40 people killed in a car bomb explosion at a rally in Multan in October 200443 people killed in a bomb explosion at a shrine in Balochistan in March 200557 people killed in a suicide attack on a religious congregation in Karachi in April 2006
The head of the madrassa targeted last week was a TSNM member. He was killed in the attack.
The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says Dargai, located close to the Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal region, is a stronghold of a pro-Taleban movement that has been banned by the government.
Tribesmen have openly threatened suicide attacks against the army in retaliation for the madrassa air raid which many also blamed on US forces based in Afghanistan.
Last month, an air strike on a religious school run by the group near the Afghan border killed 80 people.
Tribesmen in the area had rallied against Islamabad's alliance with the US after the air strike.
President Pervez Musharraf said the 80 people killed in the air strike were militants, not students as protesters say.
Pakistan has deployed nearly 80,000 troops along the border to hunt militants who sought refuge after the ousting of the Taleban in Afghanistan in 2001.
Pakistan has deployed nearly 80,000 troops along the border to hunt militants who sought refuge after the ousting of the Taleban in Afghanistan in 2001.
Have you been affected by this incident? Are you in Dargai? Send us your comments and experiences.
Have you been affected by this incident? Are you in Dargai? Send us your comments and experiences.
