21 Killed and many Injured after a Suicide Bombing in Pakistan

The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an overnight suicide bombing at a campaign rally that killed a secular politician and 20 others, two weeks before the country's nationwide elections.

Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, confirmed the militant group targeted a rally of the Awami National Party in the northwestern city of Peshawar. The bombing killed Haroon Ahmed Bilour, a candidate for a seat in the provincial legislature. Another 65 people were wounded.

Islamic extremists grew to despise the Awami National Party when it ruled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, from 2008 to 2013. During that time, the military waged a major offensive against militants in the province's Swat Valley. The militants responded by carrying out a wave of attacks ahead of the 2013 elections, killing hundreds of supporters of the Awami National Party.