Pak blast kills 27; bomber was in school dress

Peshawar: A teenage suicide bomber walked onto the parade ground of a major military training school in northwest Pakistan on Thursday and blew himself up, killing 27 cadets, officials said.

The attack at the Punjab Regiment Center in the city of Mardan was the second by militants against the school in the last 18 months.

The attacker on Thursday, a 15-year-old boy, chose the morning parade line-up to inflict maximum casualties, an army colonel said. He was dressed in the uniform of a civilian school that operates near the military academy compound.

"The boy, dressed in the school's uniform, walked up to the training centre and blew himself up," said the colonel, who declined to be identified.

The complex is one of the biggest training centres for the Pakistani Army. It was founded by the British during the colonial era.

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In addition to the 27 fatalities, more than 40 cadets were injured in the attack, according to local police officials.

The army training centre is easily accessible located on a main road in Mardan, one of the busiest cities in northwest Pakistan.

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The Pakistani Taliban attacked the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009, and militants have continued to target military and police installations.

The attack came as the Pakistani Army has asserted it has made major inroads into militant strongholds in the tribal areas located close to Mardan.