Dozens were killed and injured on Friday in two bombings targeting a religious procession and a mosque in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of Pakistan. A new explosion rocked a mosque in Pakistan during Friday prayers, causing the roof to collapse onto the worshippers, estimated to be in the dozens. The Pakistani police reported that at least two people were killed and five others were injured in the explosion that occurred in northwestern Pakistan. According to local security forces, between 30 to 40 people may be trapped under the rubble.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani officials indicated that "at least 52 people were killed and more than 50 were injured in a suicide attack targeting a religious gathering celebrating the Mawlid al-Nabi in the troubled Balochistan province in the southwest of the country." In a statement to Reuters, Deputy Inspector General of Police Munir Ahmed said that "the attacker detonated himself near the vehicle of the deputy police commissioner," adding that "the explosion occurred near a mosque where people were gathering for the Mawlid celebrations, which is a public holiday."
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which comes amid rising attacks claimed by armed groups in the west of the country, increasing the risks faced by security forces ahead of the national elections scheduled for January. The Pakistani Taliban, a coalition including several Sunni militant groups, denied responsibility for the attack. The southwestern Balochistan province has previously been the scene of attacks by Islamist militants and separatists.
