Pakistan: Who is behind suicide bombing that killed 44
A suicide bomber attacked a political rally of the conservative Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) in Bajaur district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and injuring 200 others. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, the provincial police suspect the Islamic State (ISIS) could be behind it. Meanwhile, the armed group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) condemned the attack.
Scattered limbs, chaos: Survivors recount horror
The police said 10kg of explosives were used in the blast. One of the survivors, Adam Khan (45), said the blast knocked him down and buried him under some injured people. He struggled to stand up, only to see scattered limbs. The explosion caused the tent, where the gathering was organized, to collapse on one side and trap the people trying to escape.
Attempt to remove party from elections: JUI-F chief
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman was not present at the event, but party leader Ziaullah Jan was killed in the explosion. Notably, the JUI-F is part of the country's ruling alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The party's district chief and former senator Maulana Abdur Rashid said the attack was an attempt to eliminate the JUI-F from the parliamentary elections scheduled for November.
JUI-F under attack from ISIS for 2 years
Reportedly, the incident took place on the outskirts of Khar town, which borders Afghanistan. Notably, ISIS has been active in Afghanistan and opposes the Taliban administration. Meanwhile, the TTP, linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan, has been waging war against Pakistan for over a decade. However, ISIS has also been attacking the JUI-F for the past two years, Al Jazeera reported.
Ending terrorism important for Pakistan's survival: Interior minister
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident along with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Interior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the "religion of terrorists is only terrorism," adding, "Ending terrorism is very important for the survival and integrity of Pakistan."
Among worst attacks in northwest Pakistan
The Sunday blast was one of the four worst attacks in northwest Pakistan. In February, a blast at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing the Peshawar Police headquarters killed over 100 people, mostly police personnel. In January, an explosion at another mosque in Peshawar killed 74 people. In 2014, the Taliban attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 147 people, mostly school kids.
