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On September 29, suicide bombings targeted two mosques in Pakistan, killing at least 57 people and wounding dozens others as believers marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad.
The first bombing targeted a mosque in the Mastung district in the southwestern province of Balochistan. According to the district health official Abdul Rasheedkilled, the attack claimed the lives of 52 people and left 58 others wounded.
The Suicide bomber detonated himself near a police vehicle near the Mosque, senior police official Munir Ahmed said, according to Reuters.
The second attack targeted a mosque in Peshawar city in the neighboring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five people. The roof collapsed as a result of the attack, broadcaster Geo News said, adding that around 30 to 40 people were trapped under the rubble.
The attack involved two explosions, one of which was at the mosque gate and the prayer hall, Reuters reported citing an official.
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar strongly condemned the two deadly bombings in an official statement.
“The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the blast,” a statement from his office said. “Prime Minister’s prayers for forgiveness for the deceased and patience for the families.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the two bombing, which were the most recent in a series of attacks in Pakistan.
Balochistan has seen a decades-long insurgency by separatists who demand independence from the country, citing what they say is the state’s monopoly and exploitation of the region’s mineral resources.
The province has witnessed a spate of attacks in recent months. In March, at least nine police officers were killed and 11 others wounded in a suspected suicide bombing. Later in August, an attack on Chinese engineers was thwarted by Pakistan’s military, leaving two militants dead and the Chinese workers unharmed.
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