In a devastating incident that shocked Pakistana powerful bomb exploded during a religious holiday close to one mosque in the province of Balochistan, claiming the lives of at least 52 people and leaving almost 70 injured, according to authorities.
He attempt It took place in Mastung, a district of Balochistan, where around 500 people had gathered for a procession to mark the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. During this occasion, known as Mawlid an-Nabi, Muslims gather for rallies and distribute free food to the community.
Images broadcast on television and shared on social networks showed an area near the mosque covered with the shoes of the victims and those injured after the attack. Several bodies were covered with sheets, while residents and rescue teams rushed to transport the injured to nearby hospitals.
Balochistan has witnessed numerous attacks perpetrated by insurgents and militiamen, although generally directed against security forces. The taliban Pakistanis have repeatedly emphasized that they avoid attack places of worship and civilians.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, some of them in critical condition, according to Atta Ullah, a government administrator. This tragic event occurred a few days after authorities issued a maximum alerta, warning about possible attacks of militiamen during the festivities of the prophet of Islam.
In addition to the incident in Mastung, an explosion hit a mosque on the premises of a police station in Hangu, injuring seven people, according to Shah Raz Khan, a local police officer.
President Arif Alvi condemned the stroke and asked the authorities to provide all possible assistance to the victims. For his part, the interim Minister of the Interior, Sarfraz Bugti, denounced the attempt as a heinous act, especially when addressing the people participating in the Mawlid an-Nabi procession.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the taliban Pakistanis quickly distanced themselves from him. It is important to note that in Pakistanthe celebration of Muhammad’s birth is accepted by many Muslim currents, although some consider it an innovation without justification.
Abdul Razzaq Sasoli, a senior official in Mastung district, said the suicide bomber headed toward a procession heading from the mosque from Medina to Al Falah road.
Hazoor Bakhsh, a 49-year-old survivor, shared his experience, saying: “My feet shook and I was thrown to the ground. When the dust cleared, I saw people scattered everywhere, some shouting, others asking for help.”
Toll of victims on the rise
Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of injuries, and provincial authorities used the social networks to ask for blood donors. Munir Ahmed Sheikh, deputy assistant director general of the Balochistan police, reported that the toll rose to 52 dead and more than 70 injured, exceeding the figure previously reported by the provincial interior minister of at least 45 dead and 70 injured.
Every year, mosques and government buildings in Pakistan are illuminated with lights and held processions to commemorate the birth of the main prophet of Islam. The minister described this attack against “innocent people” as a “hateful act.”
This incident evokes the tragic memory of April 2006, when a suicide attack claimed the lives of at least 50 people at a gathering of Sunni Muslims in the city of Karachi. In addition, a second suicide attack carried out by two men in a mosque in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (northwest) left four dead, according to authorities.
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