Suicide bomber kills 35 in Pakistan hours after 4 killed in consulate shootout


A suicide bomber attacked a market in northern Pakistan on Friday, killing 35 people, per The Associated Press. The attack came just hours after three gunmen assaulted the Chinese consulate in the southern city of Karachi, killing two policemen and two civilians.
In the first Karachi attack, three gunmen tried to enter the consulate in a high-end part of Karachi around 9 a.m. local time, The Washington Post reports. Security officers outside the consulate killed the three gunmen in a shootout, preventing them from reaching staff and diplomats inside. Onlookers also reported seeing an explosion nearby. An investigation into a motive is ongoing, a police official said, but a separatist group opposing China has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Later in the day and farther north, a bomber rode a motorcycle into a weekly market in the town of Kalaya and detonated explosives in a crowd of people buying vegetables, household items, and winter clothes. At least 35 were killed and dozens more were injured, and most were Shiite Muslims, a police official told AP. Pakistan's prime minister called the bombing "an act of terrorism."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The attacks appeared to be unrelated, but they underscored the many security challenges Pakistan faces from separatists and Islamist extremists.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
The Week Unwrapped: How did Japan become a space superpower?
Podcast Plus, why on earth are Labubu dolls so popular? Will buy-now-pay-later cause a new financial crisis?
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A tomato fight, painting behind bars, and more
-
Mountainhead: Jesse Armstrong's tech bro satire sparkles with 'weapons-grade zingers'
The Week Recommends The Succession creator's first feature film lacks the hit TV show's 'dramatic richness' – but makes for a horribly gripping watch
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers