Suicide Attack at Religious Procession in Pakistan Leaves Dozens Dead and Injured
Quetta, Pakistan – At least 52 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a suicide attack at a religious procession in southwest Pakistan on Friday. The explosion occurred in the Mastung district of the restive Balochistan province during the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, has been plagued by separatist insurgency for decades. The militants demand independence from the country, citing the state’s monopoly and exploitation of the region’s mineral resources. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Mastung.
In a separate incident, a blast occurred during Friday prayers at a mosque near Peshawar City in the northwestern Hangu Pakhtunkhwa province. Two people were killed and 11 others injured. Local police reported that two men on bikes started shooting at officers outside the mosque before one of them detonated an explosive at the entrance and the other inside the building.
The Assistant Commissioner of Mastung, Atta Ul Munim, confirmed that the explosion in Mastung was a suicide attack. A senior police officer, believed to be the target of the attack, was also killed. The critically injured have been transferred to hospitals in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, while others are being treated in a local hospital in Mastung. The number of casualties is expected to rise.
Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, strongly condemned the blast and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He urged security forces to remain on high alert in the wake of the attack.
Recent months have seen a surge in attacks in Balochistan. In March of this year, nine police officers were killed and 11 others injured in a suspected suicide blast. Last month, an attack on Chinese engineers in Balochistan was foiled by Pakistan’s military. The attackers targeted a mosque in the northwest of the country just hours after the blast in Mastung.
The international community has condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan in the face of such violence. Authorities are continuing their investigations to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attacks.