An explosion in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province on Friday killed at least 25 people and injured several others, including Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, deputy chairman of Pakistan’s upper house of parliament.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombing. The group's Amaq news agency said a bomber wearing an explosive vest carried out the attack.
My convoy was going to Mastung and there was an explosion. There are many casualties as there were many people in the convoy.Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri
The explosion took place in the town of Mastung, around 50 km from the provincial capital of Quetta.
Haideri told Reuters minutes after the blast that he believes himself to be the target of the attack. The senator was confronted with the blast when he stepped out of a religious seminary.
This was shortly after he had addressed a gathering in Mastung following the weekly Friday prayers. The senator told Reuters that he had sustained minor injuries in the blast.
Reports claim that the senator’s convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber, but the attack’s exact cause is yet to be proven. Senior police officer Abdul Razzaq Cheema told PTI that 30-40 people were injured. He said Haideri was slightly injured.
TV footage showed Haideri's vehicle was badly damaged. He was sitting in the car at the time of the blast. Haideri’s driver was killed in the attack.
Senator Haideri belongs to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
(With inputs from PTI , Reuters and AP)
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