By DPA
Islamabad : Two people were killed and 30 injured as an attack on an Islamic religious gathering was foiled by security guards in Pakistan's restive North-West Frontier Province, officials said Friday.
The overnight incident occurred at an Islamic preaching centre in the city of Bannu, where a large crowd of Sunni Muslims had gathered to pray and hear sermons. Bannu lies 175 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital Peshawar.
"An armed man opened fire and lobbed a grenade as the security guards tried to stop him from entering the centre," Deputy Police Superintendent Sanaullah Khan said.
One security guard died at the scene while the wounded attacker succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Two of the injured are said to be in a critical condition.
Police said they were investigating the incident to determine the motive for the attack, which took place in an area that has a history of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Bannu has also recently experienced increasing attacks by Islamic militants that come mainly from the nearby tribal area of North Waziristan.
"We have beefed up the security in the city to prevent more attacks," Khan said.