PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Terrorists threw grenades into a crowded movie theater in northwestern Pakistan Tuesday, killing 13 people, according to authorities.
One of the grenades blew up the main door, and two more exploded inside the theater as about 80 people were watching a movie called “Yarana,” which means friendship in Pashto, officials said. The floor of the cinema was streaked with blood while some of the seats were torn from the force of the explosion.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Many militant groups view movies and other forms of entertainment as obscene Western influences.
The manager of the cinema, Fayaz Khan, said he hadn’t received any threats and urged the government to provide protection.
Police official Kamal Khan said the investigation was continuing, and it wasn’t clear how many attackers were involved. Another official said some 20 people also were wounded.
The attack comes days after Pakistan began peace negotiations with Taliban terrorists fighting in the country’s northwest to end the violence that has killed more than 40,000 people in recent years.
The Pakistani Taliban, formally called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, is separate from the Taliban fighting NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan.