Suicide bombers hit court in Pakistan, 6 killed

Six people were killed and more than 20 others injured when a group of suicide bombers from a Taliban faction attempted to storm a court complex in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks across the country since last week.

Three attackers hit the sessions court in Tangi town of Charsadda district. They lobbed grenades and fired at the policemen guarding the complex before one attacker blew himself up near the gate. The other two, who were also wearing suicide vests, were gunned down by police.

District mayor Fahad Riaz confirmed the casualties. A lawyer was among the dead, officials said.The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Taliban, claimed the attack.

The court complex was crowded in the morning and deputy inspector general of police Ijaz Khan said police averted a major tragedy by preventing the attackers from entering the courthouse.

The attack was the latest in a string of terrorist assaults across Pakistan since last week that has killed more than 100 people. The brazen suicide bombings have been claimed by several militant groups, including the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack in a text message sent to an Associated Press reporter.In one of the attacks last week, 90 people were killed when an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted worshippers at a famed Sufi shrine in southern Sindh province on Thursday.

The shrine bombing prompted a countrywide crackdown by security forces targeting militants and their hideouts. The military has said that more than 100 militants have been killed and many others detained. The army has also targeted suspected militant bases in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been at war with Islamic militants for more than a decade. In recent years, it has launched major offensives against militant strongholds in the tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan, but insurgents have continued to carry out attacks elsewhere in the country.