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A suicide bombing at an election rally in Pakistan has killed at least 54 people, including five children, and injured nearly 200 others. The attack targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. The Islamic State group’s regional affiliate and breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban are being investigated as possible suspects. The bombing comes ahead of fall elections in Pakistan and is seen as an attempt to disrupt the political process. The government has vowed to punish those responsible for the attack. ANWARULLAH KHAN and RIAZ KHAN, Associated Press reported
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bombing at an election rally in Bajur, Pakistan, has left at least 54 people dead and nearly 200 injured. The attack took place on Sunday and targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but it is believed to be the result of divisions between Islamist groups in the region. The attack occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has a strong presence of Islamist groups. Police suspect the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, may be responsible. Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah also pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects. The Pakistani military had previously declared the district clear of militants in 2016 after years of fighting against the Pakistani Taliban. The attack comes as the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, led by hard-line cleric Fazlur Rehman, prepares to contest upcoming elections. Funeral services for the victims were held on Monday, with mourners carrying caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills..
