Fifty-Two People Killed in Pakistan Bombing
A horrific bombing in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province has left 52 people dead. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Details of the Attack:
- The bombing occurred during a devotional dance (dhamaal) at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Noorani, about 750 km south of the provincial capital Quetta.
- The bomber, believed to be between 14 and 16 years old, targeted a crowd of devotees.
- Around 1,000 people were at the shrine when the bomb exploded.
- The attack also injured around 100 others.
Government Response:
- Authorities fear the death toll may rise further.
- Troops and medical teams are on the ground, but difficult terrain and long distances are hindering their efforts.
- The suicide bombing could be a reprisal for the killing of a senior commander of a banned militant organization.
Additional Information:
- Jundullah chief Saqib, alias Arif alias Anjum Abbas, was killed in a gunfight with security forces on Friday.
- His wife and nine-year-old son were also injured in the clash.
- The attack comes a day before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was to flag off the first shipment of trade goods from Gwadar port to international markets, marking the historic launch of trade activity through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
- The Balochistan government has no helicopters to transport the casualties.
- The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq, its official news agency.
- Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is plagued by Islamist militancy, sectarian violence, and a separatist insurgency.
- Local militants claiming to work with the IS attacked a police academy in Balochistan last month, killing 61 people.
- In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State and a faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people.
Published: November 12, 2016, 8:41 pm IST
