35 Dead in Suicide Bombing at Pakistan Funeral

At least 35 people were killed and at least 60 injured today when a suicide bomber struck a funeral in northwest Pakistan' near the border with Afghanistan, the AP reports. The funeral in the Swat Valley drew 800 mourners for a police official killed today by a roadside bomb in the region, rife with conflict between authorities and pro-Taliban forces.

The explosion occurred as pallbearers moved the coffin to the grave. “As the coffin was lifted I moved toward the gate but suddenly a big explosion took place, which dashed me against the gate,” said a policeman. “It was hell.” The Swat Valley, once a tourist destination, has become a key recruiting ground for the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the BBC reports. (More Pakistan stories.)