KARACHI, Pakistan (ANTARA) – As many as 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in explosions in two separate “terrorist attacks” in Pakistan on Wednesday, ahead of a high-stakes national vote, officials said.
The first blast, the latest in a series of voting-related violence, occurred in Balochistan province’s southwestern Pishin district just a day before the election, district Deputy Commissioner Juma Dad told reporters.
According to Dad, the explosion occurred when a large number of independent candidate supporters gathered in front of his electoral office.
Dad said the bomb was planted in a motorbike parked near the office.
Dr Habib, a local government hospital officer, told Geo News that the death toll had risen to 15 and more than 30 injured had been taken to hospital, most of them in critical condition.
Several hours later, another bomb attack occurred in the nearby Qila Saifullah district, leaving 10 people dead and several injured.
Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai told Anadolu that the bombing targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam election office.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Video footage broadcast by local media ARY News shows rescuers and local residents moving bodies and injured people into ambulances to take them to hospital.
Achakzai said the attacks were the latest attempt by terrorists to sabotage the election.
“However, I want to emphasize that the elections will continue as scheduled,” stressed Achakzai.
In all, at least forty people, including 24 suspected terrorists and 14 security forces, were killed in a series of attacks in Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkwa provinces over less than two weeks.
Source: Anatolia
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2024-02-07 11:17:23
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