At least 52 people have been killed and dozens others have been injured in a bomb blast in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday. One police officer also died in the blast. Mastung Assistant Commissioner (AC) Attahul Munim told Dawn newspaper that the explosion took place near an Eid Miladun Nabi rally near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road.
However, the number of deaths and injuries can go up as more reports from the blast site emerge, as it has been described as a major blast. Abdul Rasheed, a district health official, said at least 52 people had died in the blast and 58 others were wounded.
The blast took place when a large number of people had assembled in front of the mosque for the Eid Miladun Nabi procession. It is notable that Eid Miladun Nabi is the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
The blast took place near the car of Mastung Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gishkori, who was to remain on the sidelines of the procession. Nawaz Gishkori is among the deceased. City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri said that it was a suicide bomb blast and that the bomber exploded himself next to DSP Gishkori’s car.
Videos and photos from the blast site that appeared on social media show a number of bloodied corpses and what looked like severed limbs strewn about.
Heartbreaking news is coming from Mastung, Balochistan. Blast In #Mastung, 7 Martyred, 50 Injured. #MastungBlast pic.twitter.com/AZ97dh1cdQ
— Aima Khan (@aima_kh) September 29, 2023
Officials said that rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung, and critically injured persons are being transferred to Quetta. Balochistan interim Information Minister Jan Achakzai said that an emergency has been imposed in all the hospitals in the region.
“The enemy wants to destroy religious tolerance and peace in Balochistan with foreign blessings,” Achakzai said.
Officials in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is the second major blast that has terrorised Mastung over the last 15 days. Earlier this month, as many as 11 people including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah were injured in a blast in Balochistan’s Mastung district. Mobile phone footage broadcast on television showed a bloodied Hamdullah being supported by two gunmen as he spoke.
Mastung Assistant Commissioner Attaul Muneem told Dawn that 11 people had been injured in the incident.
Earlier, a Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was killed and eight others, including two civilians, were injured in a blast in Pakistan’s Peshawar.
The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Warsak Road, Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan confirmed that a vehicle of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted in the attack at around 10:30 am (local time).
The vehicle was heading from Machni to Peshawar when the blast took place, he said. Mohammad Arshad Khan said that one Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was killed and six FC officials and two people were also injured, Dawn reported.
