15 killed, 50 injured in explosion in Balochistan's Mastung

ISLAMABAD: At least 15 people, including a police officer, were killed and over 50 people sustained injuries in what officials believe was a suicide blast near a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday, Dawn reported. This is the second major blast in the district in September.

An official said that the explosion took place near the Madina Mosque where people had gathered to mark Eid Miladun Nabi. Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Lehri said that the injured are being shifted to a medical facility while an emergency has been imposed in the hospitals.

Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim said that the explosion, which seems to be of a "massive" nature, took place near Madina Mosque. He said that the people had to participate in a procession later, as per Geo News.

The district administration said that Mastung's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori is among the deceased. Those critically injured in the blast are being shifted to Quetta with emergency enforced across the city’s hospitals, according to Provincial Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai. Sindh Interim Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar has condemned the blast, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

The chief minister, according to the statement said that those involved in taking the lives of innocent people are the "enemies of humanity". Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) leader Maulana Owais Noorani said in a post on X — formerly known as Twitter — that he was deeply saddened to hear about the deaths and injuries.

The political leader, who served as a special assistant to the prime minister in the previous government, termed those involved in the blast as "wretched beasts". Recently, 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.