Officials in northwestern Pakistan say a bomb blast ripped through a busy clothing market Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding about 55 others.
The explosion happened in Parachinar, the administrative center of the semi-autonomous Kurram tribal district on the Afghan border.
Amjad Ali Khan, the political administrator of Kurram told the French news agency, AFP, "the bomb had been hidden in a bag left at the market."
Outlawed Sunni Muslim extremist organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, claimed the bombing in the predominently Shi’ite Muslim region. The group is notorious for launching deadly attacks against the Pakistani minority community.
In a message sent to Pakistani media, a spokesman for the group said Sunday's bombing was carried out to punish the Shi’ites for taking sides with Iran and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The authenticity of the claim is difficult to ascertain.
The tribal region has been the site of violence from Islamic militants and sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.