An explosion in the Mastung district of the restive Balochistan province killed at least 52 during a religious procession in the southwest of Pakistan on Friday.
The explosion was a targeted attack aimed at a single person, a senior police officer, in attendance at the celebration of the prophet Mohammed, according to CNN. Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by territory and it has seen extensive insurgence regarding the separatists insisting the province needs independence from the state’s monopolization of its resources, cites the outlet.
A suspected suicide bomb blast during a procession to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad has left a devastating toll of 52 dead and many more critically wounded in the Mastung district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The powerful explosion occurred near a mosque on… pic.twitter.com/lNCN1ZAtmy
— The Observer Post (@TheObserverPost) September 29, 2023
‘Unverified’ images have started to make their way online showing the bloody aftermath of this “heinous act,” as described by the country’s interior ministry. (RELATED: Today Is The 18-Year Anniversary Of 9/11. Check Out These Historic Videos Of People Celebrating Osama Bin Laden’s Death)
Images and videos show corpses and severed limbs scattered about as a result of the deadly explosion, says The Observer Post.
“The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the blast,” his office reported in a statement. “Prime Minister’s prayers for forgiveness for the deceased and patience for the families.”
Individuals in critical condition were taken to hospitals in Quetta, the province’s capital. Others are being treated in areas nearby, and cities in surrounding areas have been instructed to be on high alert in the days that follow, says CNN.
No group was identified as responsible for this terrible tragedy.