At least 52 people, including a police officer, lost their lives, while more than 50 others sustained injuries in an explosion that rocked the Mastung district in Balochistan on Friday. This marks the second major explosion in the district within the month of September, deepening concerns over security in the region. Mastung Assistant Commissioner, Atta Ul Munim, disclosed that the explosion occurred near a mosque where a congregation had gathered to commemorate Eid Miladun Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Geo TV reported.


Dawn reported District Health Officer (DHO) Abdul Rasheed Shahi as confirming that at least 52 people died in the blast.


The explosion, believed to be a suicide blast by law enforcement authorities, struck in close proximity to the Madina Mosque, just as people were preparing to participate in a religious procession.


Among the casualties is Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori, Geo TV's report cited the district administration as informing.


Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Khalique Shaikh said DSP Mastung died while trying to stop the suicide bomber. He stated that three more police officials were injured in the suicide blast and details about casualties will be released soon, the report stated.


"The bomber detonated himself near the vehicle of the Deputy Superintendent of Police," Deputy Inspector General of Police Munir Ahmed told news agency Reuters.


Quetta's district administration informed that over 30 injured persons were transferred to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital. 


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4 Dead, 12 Injured In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blast


In a separate incident, a blast occurred in a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district on the same fateful Friday. Police have confirmed four fatalities, including a policeman, along with 12 individuals sustaining injuries, Dawn reported.


The blast unfolded within the vicinity of Police Station Doaba during the Friday sermon, a moment when a considerable number of worshippers gathered in mosques for their weekly prayer. District Police Officer Nisar Ahmed revealed that the mosque's roof collapsed during the attack, trapping an estimated 30-40 individuals under the rubble. As of now, a rescue operation is in progress to free those trapped, as per Geo TV.


Ahmed further disclosed that the attack involved two suicide bombers, with one targeting the police station's gate, while the other detonated explosives within the mosque itself, Geo TV reported.


According to him, 12 people who were rescued from the rubble were shifted to a nearby hospital.


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