Kathmandu: At least 50 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide attack in Pakistan.
The blast happened near a mosque in the south-western Balochistan province on Friday as people gathered to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
Officials in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, as reported by BBC.
Meanwhile, a separate blast has taken place at a mosque near Peshawar City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Footage from the scene in the Baloch city of Mastung showed injured people being rescued by emergency responders and locals.
Police has confirmed that the explosion was a suicide blast. According to the police, one police officer killed while trying to stop the attacker.
The number of casualties at the mosque in Hangu is not yet known but police say a number of people could be trapped under rubble after the roof collapsed.
The mosque is part of a police complex that has a capacity of 40 to 50 people, local police told the BBC.
Bordering Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province and has frequently been hit by armed fighters including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban, and the Islamic State group.
Earlier this month, at least eleven people including a prominent Muslim leader were injured in an explosion in the same district.
However, the TTP have denied involvement in Friday’s blast, saying in a statement that such an attack was against its policies.
(News Source: BBC)