Eighteen people were killed and 15 wounded when a suicide bomber ploughed his explosives-laden car into a police station in northwest Pakistan Wednesday, officials said. The bomber's car struck Miryan police station on the outskirts of the town of Bannu and badly damaged a nearby mosque. "We have received 18 dead bodies and 15 injured," said Mohammad Rahim, a doctor in Bannu's main hospital. District police chief Mohammad Iftikhar told that most of those wounded were police officers and paramilitary personnel. "The target was the police station and the mosque is nearby. Police and paramilitary personnel were praying inside the mosque," when the bombing took place, he said. "There are some civilians also but most of the victims are security personnel," he added. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani "strongly condemned" the attack, calling it "a cowardly act of terrorism," a statement from his office said. The attack was immediately claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, who said it was to avenge US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt, which borders Afghanistan.
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