A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Shi'ite mosque south of the Pakistani capital yesterday, killing 22 people and wounding dozens more, officials said.

Pakistan has been plagued by rising violence outside the dangerous Afghan border region, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Saturday that killed eight paramilitary personnel and a deadly commando-style attack against a police academy last week in Lahore.

A senior Pakistani Taliban commander claimed responsibility yesterday for the Islamabad attack, saying it was in retaliation for US drone missile strikes against militants in Pakistan near the Afghan border. The group also has said it carried out the attack in Lahore but did not take credit for yesterday's attack.