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Local residents stand at the site of a suicide bombing in Mastung near Quetta, Pakistan, Friday

Death toll of Pakistan bombing rises to 54 as local Islamic State group suspected

A suspected suicide bomber or bombers blew themselves up yesterday among a crowd celebrating the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday.

THE DEATH TOLL from a bombing in south-western Pakistan has risen to 54 after two critically wounded patients died in hospital overnight, officials said.

A suspected suicide bomber or bombers blew themselves up yesterday among a crowd celebrating the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday in Mastung.

It was one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians in Pakistan in months. Nearly 70 people were wounded, including five who remain in very critical condition, authorities said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack in Mastung, a district of Baluchistan province, but suspicion is likely to fall on the so-called Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, which has claimed previous deadly bombings around Pakistan.

IS carried out an attack days earlier in the same area after one of its commanders was killed there.

Also yesterday, a blast ripped through a mosque at a police station in Hangu, a district in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least five people and wounding seven.

Officials said two suicide bombers approached the mosque. Guards shot and killed one, but the other reached the mosque and set off explosives. The mud-brick building collapsed with about 40 people inside, officials said.

No arrests have been made in connection with yesterday’s bombing in Mastung, according to Jawed Lehri, the police chief for the area.

It happened in an open area near a mosque where 500 faithful were gathered after Friday prayers for a procession to celebrate the birth of the prophet, an observance known as Milad-un-Nabi.

Most of the dead were buried in local graveyards and the remains of others were sent to home towns, Lehri said. Body parts recovered from the site of bombing are undergoing DNA testing to determine if they belonged to the suspected perpetrator or perpetrators, he added.

Mir Ali Mardan Domki, the caretaker chief minister of Baluchistan province, told reporters that all indications from the investigation so far suggest the attack was a suicide bombing. Counter-terrorism investigators were working to reach conclusions that would be shared with the nation soon, he said.

“We will take stern action against these terrorists and will not let them play with innocent lives,” Domki said.

The government intends to transfer critically wounded patients to Karachi for better treatment, and everyone injured and the families of the people killed will receive financial compensation, he added.

In Mastung, people kept their businesses closed to mourn the victims. In other parts of Pakistan, there were demonstrations protesting against the attacks.

In the city of Lahore, members of Majlis-e-Ulema Nizamia, a religious body, gathered in front of a press club to condemn the bombing. Addressing the crowd, Maulana Abdus Sattar Saeedi demanded the government move quickly against those involved in the attacks in Mastung and Hangu.

President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, cabinet ministers, former legislators, heads of political parties, social and religious groups and members of civil society also condemned the bombing and loss of lives.

The UN Security Council also condemned “the heinous and cowardly suicide terrorist attacks in Pakistan” and underlined “the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”, according to a statement.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said such attacks “show terrorists have no other goal than to create division among Muslims”, according to a statement reported by state TV.

The US Embassy in Islamabad posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said: “Pakistani people deserve to gather and celebrate their faith without the fear of terror attacks.”

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    Mute Patrick MC Dermott
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    Sep 30th 2023, 12:32 PM

    Why are comments closed on whale striking boat in Australia? Is there a Court case or ding against the whale for reckless endangerment kr careless swimming? The Journal is obsessed with imposing it’s own brand of censorship

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    Mute No Label
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    Sep 30th 2023, 1:03 PM

    The religion of peace. Whats new.

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    Sep 30th 2023, 12:15 PM

    Nothing about Ballina.

    Pakistan, the US, Kosovo and everywhere else in between lads

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    Mute Fran Ken
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    Sep 30th 2023, 12:44 PM

    @: get a name

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    Sep 30th 2023, 12:49 PM

    @Fran Ken: Frank Kennedy

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Sep 30th 2023, 1:08 PM

    @: what if my aunt had bxlls. This whataboutism doesn’t work. It just shows you have nothing to add. It seems to me your using the same excuses these groups use for attacking in the first place.

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    Mute Ham Hat
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    Sep 30th 2023, 12:33 PM

    Religion of P

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    Mute Tommy Haze
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    Sep 30th 2023, 1:16 PM

    Remember a few years ago Islamic State was the greatest threat to Western Civilisation according to the MSM.
    The Circus has moved on.

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    Mute Jerry LeFrog
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    Sep 30th 2023, 2:54 PM

    @Tommy Haze: Daesh was crushed militarily, if you dared to read the MSM you despise so much. It is still somehow active, but thankfully not to the extent it was a few years ago.

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Sep 30th 2023, 2:17 PM

    Islam the the religious give that kills humans again and again, mirroring itself on Catholics, what’s it they say monkey see monkey do it must be great or deluded to believe you are protected by a higher power , I believe that Islam is about 300 years behind the time we live , right now

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Sep 30th 2023, 5:52 PM

    If Bush junior hadn’t attached sadame we wouldn’t have isis

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