At least 13 people, including a policeman, were killed in a powerful suicide attack on a political rally in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, local authorities said, quoted by DPA and BTA
The blast occurred when hundreds of workers from the province's leading Balochistan National Party gathered at the Shahwani stadium in Quetta to mark the death anniversary of the party's founder Attaullah Mengal.
“At least 13 people were killed“, said a spokesman for the Quetta hospital. About 40 people were injured in the explosion and there are fears that the death toll could rise increased.
“It was a suicide bombing that used at least 7-8 kilograms of explosives“, a police official said, sharing initial findings of the investigation. He added that one policeman was killed and several others were seriously injured.
One of the leaders of the Balochistan National Party, Sajid Tareen, told reporters that the explosion went off in a parking lot after the rally ended and that several party members were injured.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the blast. The “Balochistan Liberation Army“, however, is behind a series of attacks on soldiers in recent months.