Updated 11:47 am
A second suicide attack, carried out by two men at a mosque in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, left four people dead, according to authorities.
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The procession attacked in Balochistan celebrated the birth of the prophet Muhammad. The celebration is widely accepted in Pakistan, although some questionin considering it an unjustifiable innovation.
“A procession with hundreds of people left the Medina mosque and, upon reaching Al Falah road, was the target of a suicide bombing,” said Abdul Razzaq Sasoli, a senior official in Mastung district.
Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of injuries and provincial authorities used social media to appeal for blood donors.
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“We confirmed at least 45 dead and 70 injured in the explosion,” Zubair Jamali, the province's Interior Minister, told AFP.
A district police officer reported a slightly lower number.
“I can confirm that the death toll is currently at least 42 people and that more than 65 people have been injured,” Shoaib Masood told AFP.
Every year, mosques and government buildings are decorated with lights and processions are organized to mark the birth of Islam's chief prophet.
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On the same occasion, in April 2006, a suicide bomber killed at least 50 people in the city of Karachi, at a Sunni Muslim event.
Resurgence of violence
Friday's attacks occurred as Pakistan prepares for elections scheduled for January, in a context of political and economic crises and increased violence.
Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai announced a three-day mourning period.
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Balochistan, Pakistan's least populated province, is also home to several groups fighting for independence or a greater share of the region's mineral resources.
Hundreds of kilometers to the north, in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, four people died after the roof of a mosque collapsed following an explosion when two armed men tried to enter the building.
“They were intercepted at the door of the mosque and a shootout took place,” Nisar Ahmed, a senior police official, told AFP.
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“Then there was an explosion that caused the roof of the mosque to collapse,” he added.
In July, more than 40 people died in a suicide attack in this same province.
The Pakistani Taliban have intensified attacks against military and government targets since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
But the group said it had no connection with the attack in Balochistan.
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