43 killed in Peshawar bomb attack

As many as 43 people have been killed and many more wounded in a bomb attack on a busy market place in the Pakistani city of Peshawar according to agency reports.

At least twelve women are believed to be among the dead, say doctors.

Quoting medical officials, the French agency, Agence France Press, put the number of dead at 43.

The blast came several hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan, pledging a fresh start in relations with an increasingly embattled and sceptical partner in the struggle against Islamic militancy.

Pakistan is on high alert amid fears of retaliatory strikes by Pakistani Taliban militants as the army attacks their strongholds in South Waziristan on the Afghan border.

The offensive came after a series of attacks on the United Nations, army headquarters, police and general public, in which more than 150 people were killed.

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tags: Attack, Pakistan