KHAR: More than 30 militants were killed in a powerful explosion inside a mosque in the remote Hilki area of Charmang, near the Afghan border, in Bajaur district on Thursday.
Officials sources said the militants, who had converted the mosque into a base for planning terrorist activities in the district, were storing a large quantity of explosives inside. The cache detonated unexpectedly, they said, killing all those present. According to initial reports, the group was preparing for a major terror attack when their explosives went off.
The blast reduced the mosque hideout into rubble. No civilian casualties were reported in the explosion.
Authorities confirmed that all those killed were militants and described the incident as a major blow to terrorist networks operating in the border region. The security forces launched a targeted operation against terrorists in Mamund area of Bajaur district recently.