Pakistani police officials said that at least 52 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in a suicide attack targeting a religious gathering marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which comes amid an escalation in attacks claimed by armed groups in the west of the country, which increases the risks facing security forces before the national elections scheduled for January.
“The attacker blew himself up near the deputy police commissioner’s car,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Munir Ahmed told Reuters, adding that the explosion occurred near a mosque where people were gathering in a procession to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday, which is a public holiday.
The Pakistani Taliban, a movement that includes several militant groups, denied responsibility for the attack.
The victims are receiving treatment in hospitals in the nearby town of Mastung.
Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti described the explosion as a "very heinous act."
In July, more than 40 were killed in a suicide bombing in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during a rally of a religious political party.
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