At least 24 people were killed and more than 20 injured in two bombings at election offices of political parties and independent candidates in Pakistan on Wednesday, the day before parliamentary elections.
The first attack occurred in Baluchistan’s Pasin district, provincial government spokesperson Jan Achakzai said. Officials said at least 14 people were killed in the attack and the injured, some in critical condition, were rushed to nearby hospitals.
At least 10 people were killed in another bombing at the election office of politician Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islamic Party in the town of Qira Saifullah in Baluchistan province, Akhakzai and local authorities said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Interim Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz condemned the bombing.
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Two bomb attacks took place at election offices in Pakistan on the eve of parliamentary elections, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 20 others. (Encyclopedia Britannica/Universal Images Group, via Getty Images)
The bombings came despite the deployment of tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces across Pakistan to ensure peace following a recent increase in militant attacks in Pakistan, particularly Balochistan. .
The outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army has been behind multiple attacks on security forces in Baluchistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. Last week, the separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army group attacked a security facility in Mach district of Baluchistan province, killing six people.
Pakistan has struggled in recent years to curb the proliferation of insurgents, particularly in former Pakistani Taliban strongholds. Militants are present in Baluchistan and have targeted civilians in recent years.
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Pakistan’s Interim Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz (right) and Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi (left) hold a press conference on election security in Islamabad ahead of the next general election on February 6, 2024. (Getty Images)
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Baluchistan, a gas-rich province on the Afghanistan-Iran border, has been the scene of a low-level Baluch nationalist insurgency for more than two decades. Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of the state’s resources, but later launched a rebellion seeking independence.
The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups also have a strong presence in the province.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
