At least 34 people were killed — including a police officer — and more than 100 were injured in what officials believe was a suicide blast near a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday.
Dr Saeed Mirwani, chief executive officer of Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com, while City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri said a police official was among the dead.
Mastung Assistant Commissioner (AC) Attahul Munim said the explosion took place when people were gathering for an Eid-i-Miladun Nabi procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road.
He further confirmed that the blast took place by the car of DSP Gishkori who was to remain on the sidelines of the procession.
SHO Lehri said the explosion was a “suicide blast” and that the bomber exploded himself next to DSP Gishkori’s car.
Unverified images and videos emerging in the aftermath of the blast showed a number of bloodied corpses and what looked like severed limbs strewn about as onlookers assessed the damage.
Balochistan interim Information Minister Jan Achakzai said rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung. He added the critically injured persons are being transferred to Quetta and that an emergency has been imposed in all the hospitals.
“The enemy wants to destroy religious tolerance and peace in Balochistan with foreign blessings,” Achakzai said. “The explosion is unbearable.”
He further said caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki has directed authorities to arrest those responsible for the blast.
Meanwhile, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast and expressed his grief at the loss of lives.
Stating that “terrorists have no faith or religion”, Bugti asserted that all resources were being put to use during the rescue operation. He added that no effort would be spared in treating the injured and that terrorist elements did not deserve any concession.
PTI leader Imran Ismail also condemned the blast, saying that those who “end innocent lives are oppressors and terrorists”. He hoped that law enforcement agencies would soon catch the culprits.
Earlier this month, at least 11 people, including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah, were injured in a blast in the same district.
A week prior to that, a Levies official was gunned down at a bus stand by unidentified men, while two others who were passing by were injured.
In May this year, unidentified attackers targeted a polio vaccination team in the Killi Sour Karez area on the outskirts of Mastung, resulting in a policeman being martyred.
In October last year, three people were killed and six others were injured in a bomb attack targeting two vehicles in the mountainous area of Qabu in Mastung.
In July 2018, at least 128 people, including politician Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, were killed and more than 200 were injured in a deadly suicide blast in the same district.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
