7 months ago
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At least 52 people have died and more than 80 have been injured after a suspected suicide bomb exploded near a mosque at a gathering celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in south-west Pakistan.
The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, according to government administrator Atta Ullah.
Injured people were rushed to nearby hospitals and some are in a critical condition.
A senior police officer, Mohammad Nawaz, was among the dead, Mr Ullah said.
Officers are investigating to determine whether the bombing was a suicide attack.
At least 52 people have died and more than 80 have been injured. Pictured is a young boy receiving treatment after being injured in the attack
It is feared more than 80 are injured, with some people in critical condition. Pictured are victims being brought to hospital
Injured victims are pictured receiving treatment after the blast at the celebration
Muslims in Pakistan and around the world celebrate the birthday of Islam's prophet by holding public gatherings. The birth anniversary, known as Mawlid an-Nabi, involves day-long celebrations and free meals are given out to people.
Just a few days before the bombing authorities asked police to remain on maximum alert as militants could target rallies making the event.
In a statement, caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing and expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of lives. He said it was a 'heinous act' to target people at the Mawlid an-Nabi procession.
The government had declared a national holiday for the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, and President Arif Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-haq-Kakar had called for unity and for people to adhere to the teachings of the prophet.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Pakistani Taliban quickly distanced themselves from it.
Previous deadly attacks in Baluchistan and elsewhere have been claimed by the so-called Islamic State group.
The gas-rich south-western Baluchistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran has been the site of a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades.
Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but they later launched an insurgency calling for independence.
Injured victims receive treatment at a hospital in Quetta
Volunteers are pictured helping a blast victim on a stretcher at a hospital in Quetta
In July, at least 54 people were killed when a suicide bomb detonated at a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric, with witnesses describing horrifying 'doomsday scenes'.
Video showed crowds listening to the speaker as they waved flags of support before the rally was interrupted by a terrifying explosion. The bomb sparked chaos as emergency services descended on the scene to attend to the casualties.
'I was confronted with a devastating sight - lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help,' Fazal Aman, who was near the tent when the bomb went off, told AFP.
The attack occurred in the town of Khar in the northwestern Bajaur district, just 45 kilometres from the Afghan border, in an area where militancy has been rising since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
