The attacks, which have killed tens of thousands of civilians and security personnel, have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban and other militants, who are deeply opposed to Islamabad's decision to partner with the United States against al-Qaida in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
The attacks have mainly targeted security forces and the country's Shiite minority. The deadliest attack was carried out just over a year ago, when Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar, not far from the scene of Wednesday's attack, killing some 150 people, mainly children.
A look at some of the major attacks in Pakistan in recent years:
2016:
__ Jan. 20: Islamic militants attack a university named after a late secular activist in the northwestern town of Charsadda, killing 20 people.
__ Jan. 19: A suicide bomber attacks a police checkpoint outside Peshawar, killing 11 people.
__ Jan. 18: A remotely detonated bomb kills five paramilitary troops in Quetta.
__ Jan. 13: A suicide bomber strikes a polio vaccination center in Quetta, killing 15 people, mostly police.
2015:
__ Dec. 29: A suicide bomber kills 26 people outside a government office in Mardan.
__ Dec. 13: A bomb in a market kills at least 22 Shiites in the Kurram tribal region.
__ Oct. 23: A suicide bomber kills at least 20 Shiites in Jaccobabad in southern Pakistan.
__ Oct. 22: A bomb rips through a Shiite mosque in southwestern Pakistan, killing 12 worshippers.
__Sept. 18: Taliban attack an air base outside Peshawar, killing 29 people. Fourteen attackers are killed.
__ Aug. 16: Two suicide bombers attack the home of a provincial home minister, killing him and 20 others.
__ May 13: Islamic militants gun down at least 50 Ismaili Shiites on a bus in Karachi.
__ March 15: Two suicide bombers attack a church in Lahore, killing 13 Christians and two police.
__Feb. 13: A suicide attack kills more than 20 Shiites in a Peshawar mosque.
__Jan. 30: A bomb rips through a Shiite mosque in southern Pakistan, killing nearly 60 people.
2014:
__ Dec 16: Taliban attack an army-run school in Peshawar, killing over 150 people, 144 of them children.
— Nov. 2: Taliban suicide bomber kills 60 in attack on paramilitary checkpoint near border with India.
— June 9: Ten gunmen disguised as police attack terminal at Pakistan's busiest airport, killing 13
— June 8: Suicide bomber kills at least 23 Shiite pilgrims returning from Iran.
2013:
—Sept. 22: Two suicide bombers kill at least 85 people in attack on Peshawar church.
—June 22: Militants kill 10 foreign climbers on Nanga Parbat, ninth highest mountain in world.
—March 3: Bombing in Karachi kills 45 Shiites outside a mosque.
— Jan. 10: Bombing in Shiite area of Quetta kills 81 people.
2012:
— Nov. 22: Taliban suicide bomber strikes Shiite Muslim procession in Rawalpindi, killing 23 people.
— Jan. 5: Taliban kill 15 frontier police after holding them hostage for more than a year.
2011:
— Sept. 20: Militants kill at least 26 Shiites on a bus near Quetta.
— May 23: Pakistani commandos recapture naval base from Taliban attackers who struck to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. raid. The militants killed at least 10 personnel.
— May 13: Two Taliban suicide bombers attack paramilitary police recruits in Shabqadar, killing 80, also in retaliation for bin Laden's killing.
2010:
— Nov. 5: A suicide bomber strikes a Sunni mosque in northwest, killing at least 67 during Friday prayers.
— Sept. 1: A triple Taliban suicide attack on a Shiite Muslim procession kills 65 in Quetta.
— July 9: Two suicide bombers kill 102 people in the Mohmand tribal region.
— July 2: Suicide bombers attack revered Sufi shrine in Lahore, killing 47 people.
— May 29: Militants attack two mosques of the Ahmadi minority sect in Lahore, killing 97.
— March 13: Two suicide bombers target army vehicles in Lahore, killing more than 55 people.
— Jan. 1: A suicide truck bomber strikes a volleyball court in the northwest, killing at least 97 people
2009:
— Dec. 28: Bomb kills at least 44 at a Shiite procession in Karachi.
— Dec. 7: Two bombs kill 48 at a Lahore market; a suicide bomber kills 10 outside a Peshawar courthouse.
— Oct. 9: A suicide car bomber hits a busy market in Peshawar, killing 53.
— May 27: A suicide car bomber targets police and intelligence offices in Lahore, killing about 30 people.
— March 27: A suicide bomber destroys a packed mosque in the northwest, killing about 50 people.
— March 3: Gunmen attack the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore, wounding several players and killing six policemen and a driver.
2008:
— Sept. 20: A suicide truck bomber strikes the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, killing at least 54.
— Aug. 21: Suicide bombers strike two gates of a weapons factory, killing at least 67 people.
2007:
— Dec. 27: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and 20 other people are killed in a suicide bombing and shooting attack in Rawalpindi.
— Oct. 18: Suicide bombing aimed at Bhutto kills some 150 people in Karachi during celebrations welcoming her home from self-exile.
— July 3-11: An eight-day standoff between security forces and militants inside the compound of the Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid, kills 102 people.
(AP)