The death toll from a bombing in southwestern Pakistan, which occurred as people were celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, has tragically increased to 54. This grim count includes two individuals who succumbed to their injuries in hospitals overnight.Pakistan bombings Death rises
QUETTA, Pakistan — The death toll from the bombing in southwestern Pakistan, which occurred as people were celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, has risen to 54. This tragic increase in casualties includes two critically wounded patients who succumbed to their injuries in hospitals overnight, according to officials on Saturday.
The attack, which took place in the Mastung district, involved suspected suicide bombers who detonated themselves within a crowd on Friday. It stands as one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Pakistan in recent months, leaving nearly 70 people wounded, with five still in very critical condition, as reported by authorities.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the Mastung attack, suspicion is likely to center on the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, which has previously claimed responsibility for deadly bombings in Pakistan. Notably, IS had conducted an attack in the same area just days before, following the killing of one of its commanders.
Additionally, on the same Friday, a blast occurred at a mosque situated on the premises of a police station in Hangu, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This explosion resulted in at least five fatalities and seven injuries.
Officials have detailed that two suicide bombers approached the mosque within the police station, with guards successfully neutralizing one. Unfortunately, the other assailant managed to reach the mosque and detonated explosives, causing the mud-brick building to collapse with approximately 40 people inside.
No arrests have been made in connection with the bombing that occurred in Mastung on Friday, as confirmed by Jawed Lehri, the police chief for the area. The attack took place in an open area near a mosque where approximately 500 individuals had gathered after Friday prayers for a procession commemorating the birth of the Prophet, an observance known as Milad-un-Nabi.
The majority of the deceased have been laid to rest in local graveyards, while the remains of others have been sent to their hometowns, according to Lehri. Body parts recovered from the bombing site are undergoing DNA testing to determine whether they belong to the suspected perpetrator or perpetrators.
Mir Ali Mardan Domki, the caretaker chief minister of Baluchistan province, indicated that the ongoing investigation strongly suggests the attack was a suicide bombing. Counter-terrorism investigators are working to reach conclusive findings that will be shared with the nation soon. He pledged stern action against the terrorists and assured that critically wounded patients would be transferred to Karachi for better treatment. Financial compensation will be provided to all those injured and the families of the victims.
In Mastung, businesses remained closed as a mark of mourning for the victims. Protests against the attacks took place in various parts of Pakistan. In Lahore, members of Majlis-e-Ulema Nizamia, a religious body, gathered to condemn the bombing. They called on the government to swiftly take action against those involved in the incidents in Mastung and Hangu.
President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, Cabinet ministers, former lawmakers, heads of political parties, social and religious groups, and members of civil society widely condemned the bombings and expressed their condolences for the loss of lives.
The members of the U.N. Security Council also denounced the “heinous and cowardly suicide terrorist attacks in Pakistan” and emphasized the need to hold the perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts accountable and bring them to justice, according to a statement.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated that such attacks demonstrate that terrorists have no other goal than to sow division among Muslims, as reported by state TV.Pakistan bombings Death rises
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressing that the Pakistani people deserve to gather and celebrate their faith without the fear of terror attacks.
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