At least 34 people, including a police officer, were killed and over 130 others were injured in a suspected suicide blast near a mosque in Mastung district, Balochistan. The incident occurred during a gathering for an Eid-i-Miladun Nabi procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road, according to Mastung Assistant Commissioner Attahul Munim. The explosion took place by the car of DSP Gishkori, who was to stay on the sidelines of the procession. Eyewitnesses reported seeing bloodied corpses and severed limbs at the scene. Rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung, and critically injured individuals are being transported to Quetta, where an emergency has been declared in all hospitals.
Jan Achakzai, the interim Information Minister of Balochistan, condemned the blast and expressed his concerns about religious tolerance and peace in the area. The interim Chief Minister has instructed authorities to apprehend the culprits responsible for the attack. Karachi police have also been directed to be on high alert and to tighten security arrangements for Eid-i-Miladun Nabi processions and Friday prayers.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast and emphasized that terrorists have no faith or religion. He assured that all resources are being utilized for rescue operations and vowed to provide the best medical treatment to the injured. Imran Ismail, a PTI leader, condemned the attack, calling the perpetrators oppressors and terrorists, and expressed hope that law enforcement agencies would soon apprehend them.
This incident follows a blast earlier this month in which 11 people, including JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah, were injured in the same district. In May, unidentified attackers targeted a polio vaccination team, resulting in the death of a policeman. In October last year, a bomb attack in Mastung killed three people and injured six others. In July 2018, a deadly suicide blast in Mastung claimed the lives of 128 people, including politician Nawabzada Siraj Raisani.
This is an ongoing situation, and further updates will be provided as information becomes available.