Following a suicidal bomb blast at a religious procession in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, officials said the death toll has rose to at least 25.
“At least 25 people were killed and more than 80 injured — including 20 critically injured people,” Zubair Jamali, home minister of Balochistan, told AFP.
Earlier, six people were reported to have lost their lives while more than 30 were wounded on Friday, in a blast near a mosque in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported.
The Assistant Commissioner of Mastung district said the explosion happened as people gathered for a procession marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.
The country’s interior ministry confirmed a blast carried out by “terrorist elements”.
“The attack on innocent people who came to participate in the procession of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi is a very heinous act,” it said in a statement.
Balochistan’s Minister for Information Jan Achakzai posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the number of dead was rising.
While the celebration of the prophet’s birthday is accepted by the majority of Islamic sects, certain denominations view it as an unwarranted innovation.