At least 54 killed, scores injured in Mastung, Hangu ‘suicide’ blast
Four soldiers martyred as forces foil infiltration attempt from Afghanistan
At least four people were martyred while five sustained injuries during an explosion inside a mosque located in the Doaba police station.
At least 54 people were killed while more than 100 were wounded in a blast that took place in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday.
Mustung + Hangue +Rawalpindi ( Web News )
According to the district administration, Mastung’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori was among the deceased.
Police said the explosion was a “suicide blast” and that the bomber exploded himself next to DSP Gishkori’s car.
“An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals,” they say.
Soon after the blast, security forces cordoned off the area and started collecting evidence from the crime scene.
“30 bodies have been brought to Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital – Mastung,” CEO Dr Saeed said.
According to the Medical Superintendent (MS), 19 bodies were presented in DHQ Hospital Mastung and five bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta.
Footage of the Mastung suicide blast has also surfaced in which people were seen participating in a procession when the explosion occurred on the scene.
51 wounded persons have been shifted to Quetta for medical treatment.
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.
“Some of the injured are in critical condition,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki has directed authorities to arrest those responsible for the blast.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast and expressed his grief at the loss of lives.
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.
The JUI-F leader who also serves as spokesman of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance got injured along with one of his aides and his gunman while on his way to Mangocher city of Balochistan in what authorities are calling a roadside blast.
Eight other people also got injured in the blast as a coaster carrying travellers was also affected.
The death toll in the suicide attack on a procession of Eid Milad in Mastung surged to above 50. A police officer is also among those who were martyred in the blast.
The District Health Officer (DHO), Abdul Razzaq Shahi, confirmed the casualties.
Meanwhile, SHO Mohammad Javed Lehri confirmed the casualty of a police officer among the victims.
Earlier, Dr. Saeed Mirwani, the CEO of Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital, reported 34 fatalities and over 130 injuries. Shahi clarified that the discrepancy arose due to duplicate entries from two different hospitals, and the actual count of injured individuals stood at approximately 50.
He noted that a substantial number of individuals were currently receiving medical care at the hospital.
More than 20 injured individuals had been referred to Quetta for additional medical assistance. Dr. Mirwani emphasized that the process of relocating both the deceased and injured individuals was ongoing at the moment.
Earlier, 15 people died in a suicide attack on a procession of Eid Milad outside a mosque in Mastung. People gathered outside Madina Mosque to participate in a procession in connection with Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH).
Assistant Commissioner of Mastung confirmed the casualties after the blast. He explained that the blast occurred as people had gathered for an Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) procession near Madina Masjid on Alfalah Road.
Balochistan’s interim Information Minister, Jan Achakzai, stated that rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung. He added that critically injured individuals were being transported to Quetta, and an emergency had been declared in all hospitals.
Achakzai expressed concern that foreign elements disrupted religious harmony and peace in Balochistan. He lamented, “The explosion is a heart-wrenching event.”
He also conveyed that the caretaker Chief Minister, Ali Mardan Domki, had instructed authorities to apprehend those responsible for the blast.
Political leaders vehemently condemned the incident, asserting that those who unjustly take innocent lives are oppressors and terrorists. They expressed hope that law enforcement agencies would swiftly apprehend the perpetrators.
RAWALPINDI: At least four soldiers were martyred when an infiltration attempt from Afghanistan
At least four soldiers were martyred when an infiltration attempt from Afghanistan by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists was thwarted, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.
The skirmish took place near Sambaza in District Zhob, a region close to the Pak-Afghan border.
Security forces acted swiftly to repel the militants attempting to breach Pakistan’s borders, added ISPR.
The martyred soldiers were identified as Havildar Sattar, Lance Naik Sher Azam, Lance Naik Adnan and Sepoy Nadeem.
“Security Forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country,” said ISPR.
HANGU. At least four people were martyred while five sustained injuries
At least four people were martyred while five sustained injuries during an explosion inside a mosque located in the Doaba police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday, reporter quoting police.
The incident took place within the parameters of Police Station Doaba during Friday sermon, said police.
“The roof of the mosque caved in due to the impact of the explosion,” the police official stated, adding that nearly 30 to 40 people were reported to be stuck under the rubble.
“Two suicide bombers are involved in the attack,” said a police official, adding that one bomber targeted the gate of the police station, and the other blew himself up inside the mosque,” said police officials.
The total number of casualties is yet to be ascertained as the rescue and relief operation continues.
The KP government has imposed an emergency in hospitals across Hangu and Kohat, DPO Ahmed confirmed.
Meanwhile, in a statement, KP caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan summoned a report on the incident from the police and instructed authorities to expedite the rescue operation.
This was the second blast reported in Pakistan today as at least 40 people were killed while more than 80 were wounded in a blast that took place in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday.
According to the district administration, Mastung’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori was among the deceased.
Police said the explosion was a “suicide blast” and that the bomber exploded himself next to DSP Gishkori’s car.