Deadly blasts rock Pakistan ahead of election day, dozens dead
Islamabad, PAKISTAN(EFE) – Several people were killed and many more injured in at least three explosions that rocked Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province on Wednesday, just a day before general elections, according to police sources.
An explosive device planted in a motorcycle was detonated outside the office of a political candidate in the restive province, killing at least 14 people and injuring 25 others, Quetta police officer Muhammed Ramzan told EFE.
The explosion occurred outside the election office of Asfand Yar Kakar in Khanozai town, located in the Pishin district, Ramzan said.
READ MORE : Ten police officers were killed in a militant assault in Pakistan
Kakar, an independent candidate, was not present in the office at the time of the explosion.
Kakar told Pakistan’s Geo News that eight workers were killed and over 18 injured in the blast, which occurred during preparations for polling agent assignments in the election office.
A video released by the police showed blood stains and still bodies near the blast site.
Police officer Ramzan reported another explosion at the office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F in Qila Saifullah, Balochistan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 12 others. “The office building caught fire soon after the blast.”
Another blast in the tribal district of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, injured five people, police said.
The explosion targeted the vehicle of political candidate Naseerullah Wazir, who escaped unharmed.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of the blasts and summoned a report from the Balochistan chief secretary and Inspector General of Police.
An ECP spokesperson said directives have been issued to take action against those involved in such incidents.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which represent the latest wave of insurgent violence escalating ahead of the elections for new federal and provincial governments.
Earlier this week, at least 10 police officers were killed in a pre-dawn bomb and gun attack on a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Last week, a national assembly candidate was shot dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and another political leader was gunned down on the same day in his party’s election office in Balochistan.
The day before, a bomb attack following an election rally killed four people in Balochistan, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility.
Last week, the Pakistan Army reported at least 30 casualties, including 24 militants and two civilians, in a prolonged three-day military operation in Balochistan province.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, militant attacks more than doubled in January compared to December of the previous year.
The surge in insurgent attacks has been attributed to the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. EFE