Pakistan: 80 Killed In Osama 'Revenge' Blasts

At least 80 people have died after double suicide bomb blasts at a Pakistani paramilitary police training centre, said to be in revenge for Osama bin Laden's killing.

Pakistani Taliban militants have said they carried out the attacks, according to Reuters news agency.

"It's the first revenge for the martyrdom of... bin Laden. There will be more," Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

The atrocity has been condemned by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

It was the bloodiest attack in the country since a US raid killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden earlier this month.

Police officer Liaqat Ali Khan said 66 of the victims were recruits for the Frontier Corps, who were about to be bussed home from the centre.

The explosions detonated as the newly trained cadets - all wearing civilian clothes - were getting into coaches to begin 10 days of leave after their course.

The attack came as Pakistan's military and civilian leadership deals with the fallout from the killing of bin Laden by US special forces.

It took place in the Charsadda area, around 19 miles north of northwestern city Peshawar.

The region has been subject to a series of attacks on government forces by militants linked to the Taliban and al Qaeda.

President Zardari expressed his condolences with the families of those killed.

"The government and people are determined to defeat terrorism and such gruesome acts cannot deter the resolve of the nation which remains united to defeat terrorists," he said.

The site of the suicide bomb attack

Mr Hague: "These attacks were cowardly and indiscriminate, killing many innocent bystanders and targeting those who serve to protect Pakistan."

The Pakistani Taliban last week threatened to attack security forces to avenge bin Laden's killing in a US helicopter raid north of the capital Islamabad on May 2.

A pile of items belonging to victims of the attack

More than 4,300 people have died in suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan in the four years since government forces raided an extremist mosque in Islamabad in 2007.