Approximately 22 people have been reported dead and 50 wounded after a bomb exploded and destroyed a marketplace in a Shiite town northwest of Pakistan on Sunday, according to NY Times.

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After a few hours, Lashkar-e-Jhangyi, a banned Sunni extremist group, claimed responsiblity for the attack in the capital of the Kurram tribal region, on the border of Afghanistan.

An unidentified spokesperson for the extremist group said in a message to local news media outlets that the bombing was a revenge for the crime of taking sides with Iran and Bashar al-Assad. Sources confirm that he was referring to the Syrian President. "We warn Shiite parents that unless they stop their children from participating in the war, they should be prepared for more attacks," he added.

Hundreds of Pakistani Shiites are believed to have been recruited by Iran in the past years to fight for Mr. Assad's government. Reuters reported that they are fighting under the group Zeinabiyoun.

The Eidgah bazar in Parachinar was jam-packed with shoppers buying used winter clothes at a very cheap price. The deafening explosion, apparently remotely detonated, could be heard over a wide area and caused hysteria among the crowd of people which eventually led to a stampede. Security officals quickly responded and cordoned the market off.

The wounded were brought to a nearby hospital by ferries, however those who are in grave conditions were airlifted to Kohat, a city about 90 miles away, a rescue worker said.

Parachinar has had a history of a sectarian violence, and Shiites, mostly affiliated with the Turi tribe, have been targeted repeatedly by Sunni Extremists and Taliban militants. The Kurram tribal region, where Sunni and Shiite Muslims are almost divided equally, also borders the North Waziristan tribal region, the scene of a military offensive by the Pakistani military since last year

TagsSunnis, Pakistan market bombing, militants, bombing