Jakarta, IO – The celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday on Friday (29/9) in Pakistan ended in tragedy after two suicide bombs exploded and killed more than 50 people and injured dozens of others. The explosions took place near a mosque in southwestern Balochistan province and at a mosque near the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The authorities in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. However, no group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack, per BBC Indonesia, Saturday (30/9).
Video footage from the scene in Mastung City, Balochistan, shows injured people being evacuated by emergency responders and local residents. “Bodies were lying on top of each other,” said Saifullah, a local journalist.
“People are waiting for the procession to start. I was standing nearby when the bomb exploded.” Saifullah revealed that 10 to 12 of his relatives also died in the tragedy.
Meanwhile, a Khyber Pakhtunkwa police spokesperson said that two suicide bombers and a car packed with explosives had been taken into custody. “One of the perpetrators was neutralized at the gate when he tried to enter the mosque in the police building complex in Hangu City.”
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Meanwhile, Pakistani Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the blast was an extremely heinous act and condemned what he called a “terrorist attack” in the two regions.
Bordering Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province and is often the target of attacks by armed groups, including pro-Taliban groups in Iran, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS. (rr)