Pakistan police detains two over Shia mosque bombing in Peshawar

Pakistani security forces have arrested at least two pro-Taliban militants involved in a recent gun-and-bomb attack on a Shia mosque in the troubled northwestern city of Peshawar.

Local security officials said the attackers were arrested on a tip-off after law enforcement agencies arrested at least 25 suspects during a search operation across the volatile city.

Sources say the two militants, one said to be in his 20s and the other in his 30s, were later shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation.

At least 15 were killed and over two dozen severely injured in the attack on a Shia mosque and religious seminary in the violence-wracked city on Friday. The attack occurred when people were performing Friday prayers on the outskirts of the volatile city.

The attack is the worst such incident in the volatile region since the new government was installed in May. This is also the latest deadly bombing in a wave of violence against the Shia Muslim community in Pakistan.

Reports say the anti-Shia terrorist group of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has been behind most of the attacks on Shia Muslims in Pakistan.

Human Rights Watch says more than 400 Shias were killed in Pakistan in 2012, which was the deadliest year on record for the Shia Muslim community.

Shia Muslims in Pakistan say the government must take decisive action against the forces involved in the targeted killings. They also accuse Islamabad of failing to provide security for the Muslim community.

The country’s Shia leaders have called on the government to form a judicial commission to investigate the bloodshed.

The killing of Shias has caused an international outrage, with rights groups and regional countries expressing concern over the ongoing deadly violence.

Shias make up about a third of Pakistan’s population of over 180 million.