The city of Khar, Pakistan On Sunday, police and health officials reported that a powerful bomb blasted through a rally of supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader in the district of Bajur, which borders Afghanistan in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajur province. At least 55 people were murdered and 135 were injured in a suicide attack, according to an official.
Senior police officer Nazir Khan told NBC News that Jamiat Ulema Islam, a religious political party led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had organized a workers’ convention in Khar town of Bajur tribal district on Sunday, where the detonation occurred.
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While Khan had previously stated that there was “no information about the nature of the blast,” Jan stated that it was a suicide attack.
Azam Khan, head of the emergency room at Khar’s main government hospital, previously stated that 35 bodies were brought to the hospital and some were taken back by relatives, while the number of injured was over 100, as those who had initially sought medical care at nearby small clinics were subsequently transported to the main government hospital.
The number of fatalities and injuries rose throughout the day. Jalil Jan, a spokesman for the political party, told NBC News that the number of fatalities had risen to 55 and that some of the 135 injuries were life-threatening.
On July 30, 2023, rescue personnel transported a wounded man following a bomb explosion in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. AP Rescue 1122 Headquarters
Mohibullah Khan Yousufzai, a government administrator, previously stated that the mortality toll rose to 35 and the number of injured exceeded 100. He stated that the severely injured were being airlifted to Peshawar, the provincial capital, for superior medical care.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but across the border in Afghanistan, the Islamic State operates.
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The deceased included Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party. Senator Abdur Rasheed and ex-lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also present but escaped unharmed. According to party officials, Rehman was not at the rally.
Rehman is regarded as a pro-Taliban cleric, and his political party is a member of the Islamabad coalition government. It is unknown whether Rehman was in attendance. Across the nation, meetings are being organized to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
Until recent years, when the Pakistani military conducted massive operations to eradicate militancy from the tribal region, Bajur, formerly a tribal region but now a district, served as a safe refuge for Islamic militants. Militants continue to frequently attack security forces and civilians.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said in a statement that officials “condemn” the explosion.
“The Islamic Emirate expresses its deepest condolences to the affected families,” and officials pray for the “martyrs” to enter the Islamic paradise and “for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Such atrocities are in no way acceptable or justifiable, Mujahid stated.
Mushtaq Yusufzai is a Taliban leader.
Mushtaq Yusufzai is a journalist who lives in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.
Julianne McShane, John Joe Regan, and Liam Woods made substantial contributions.
