At least 70 people were killed and over 120 injured as a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Pakistani mosque during the Friday prayers in Jamrud town.

At least 70 people were killed and over 120 injured as a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Pakistani mosque during the Friday prayers in Jamrud town, near the Afghanistan border.

Such was the impact of the blast that the mosque, located near a security check post, was almost decimated. The congregation was attended by around 250 persons, including many security personnel and truckers carrying NATO supplies.

Jamrud, situated near the main route to Kabul via the Khyber Pass, has been the target of recent military operations that were meant to secure the route from militants' attacks for the NATO supplies.

The authorities arrested a suspect near the mosque, who was calling somebody on his mobile phone soon after the blast. He was apparently taken to an unknown place for interrogation.

The suicide attack was widely condemned by Pakistani leadership, including President Asif Zardari and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, who termed the militants and religious extremists as great threat to the country's stability and durability of the democratic rule.

"The bomber and his operatives have once again demonstrated that this is not a war for Islam and Shariah," Asfandyar Wali Khan, chief of Awami National Party (ANP) that rules the North-West Frontier Provinces, said. "This is not jihad, but war against humanity," said Khan, asking people to unite against the enemies of Pakistan and humanity.

Placing much of the blame on foreigners present in the areas, Khan said: "If foreigners are allowed to live in tribal areas without passport and proper documentation, it will only lead to this kind of consequences."

The bombing took place hours before US President Barack Obama unfolded a new strategy for the Afghan war, which recognised Pakistan as key to eliminating Al-Qaeda and Taliban havens along the Pak-Afghan border and progress in the seven-year military operation in Afghanistan by the United States and its allies.

Most analysts, however, described Obama's plan as almost a rehash of Bush administration's policy against the expectations of most Pakistanis.

Prior to the Obama speech, President Asif Zardari told reporters in Quetta that the US President stands for change and was likely to initiate a new approach in the region.