A suicide bombing in Pakistan killed at least 52 people and injured more than 50 on Friday at a religious gathering to mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammed in a restive province bordering Afghanistan, health officials and police said.<\/p>\n
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast which comes amid a surge in attacks by militant groups in western Pakistan, raising the stakes for security forces ahead of national elections scheduled for January next year.<\/p>\n
“The bomber detonated himself near the vehicle of the Deputy Superintendent of Police,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Munir Ahmed told Reuters.<\/p>\n
The blast ripped through near a mosque in Balochistan province where people were gathered for a procession to mark Mohammed’s birthday, which is a public holiday, Ahmed added.<\/p>\n
At least 58 people were wounded, said Abdul Rasheed, a district health official, adding that the toll could rise as many people were in a serious condition.<\/p>\n
Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire broke down between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of various hardline Sunni Islamist groups.<\/p>\n
The TTP denied it had carried out Friday’s attack.<\/p>\n
Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti called the attack a “very heinous act”.<\/p>\n
In July, more than 40 people were killed in a suicide bombing in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province at a religious political party’s gathering.<\/p>\n
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