At least 52 people were killed and over 100 others were wounded in a bomb blast that ripped through a religious procession in restive southwest Pakistan on Thursday, according to officials.
The attack targeted the procession in the town of Mastung in the southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan. It happened late in the night as the group of Shia Muslims had set out from a nearby shrine to commemorate a religious ritual.
The death toll is expected to rise as several of the injured are in critical condition. According to local authorities, the bomb had been planted on a motorcycle that was parked alongside the procession.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the town of Mastung has been a frequent target of militants from the Taliban and other militant groups, making it possible that they were behind this latest attack.
The attack comes just days after a major suicide attack in the provincial capital, Quetta, killed at least 15 people and injured 44 others. That attack prompted Prime Minister Imran Khan to call for regional peace initiatives, saying that peace was necessary for economic development.
