A suicide bomber killed greater than 50 folks, together with youngsters, at an election rally
Islamic State-Khorasan terrorists have claimed duty for Sunday’s suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which focused a marketing campaign rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) celebration.
The group, also referred to as ISIS-Okay, made a press release taking duty for the blast on Monday. Pakistani police already suspected them, amid speculations {that a} splinter of the Taliban may need been concerned.
An estimated 1,000 folks have been inside a tent within the city of Khar when a bomber detonated his suicide vest full of ball bearings close to the stage the place JUI chief Fazal-ur-Rehman was scheduled to talk.
As of Monday night, the loss of life toll stood at 54, of which 23 have been underneath the age of 18, Counter-terrorism official Shaukat Abbas instructed AFP.
ISIS-Okay was additionally behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 13 US navy personnel and dozens of Afghan civilians, in the course of the American pullout from Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities initially suspected a splinter Taliban group often known as TPP, which was behind the 2 lethal bombings within the provincial capital of Peshawar earlier this 12 months. A blast in January killed 74 folks inside a mosque. One other bombing in February additionally focused a mosque and claimed the lives of over 100 cops. The TTP was additionally behind the 2014 bombing that killed 147 folks, principally schoolchildren, at a Peshawar college.
The Afghan Taliban condemned Sunday’s assault in Khar, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeting that “such crimes can’t be justified in any manner.”
Rehman’s JUI is a part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition, which took energy in April 2022 after ousting PM Imran Khan by means of a no-confidence vote within the Nationwide Meeting.
Khan seeks to return to energy within the upcoming common election, and has accused Sharif of trying to cease him by means of politically motivated expenses. A brand new election should be held inside 60 days of August 13, when the parliament is because of disband.
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