 "Pakistan blast")
At least 52 people were killed and over 50 injured in a suicide blast near a mosque in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Friday as they gathered to celebrate Prophet Muhammad's birthday. The explosion occurred near Madina Mosque in the Mastung district, Geo News reported. Nawaz Gashkori, the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Mastung who was on duty for the rally, was among those killed.
Pakistan has witnessed several violent terrorist attacks in the recent past. The presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists constitutes an existential threat to Pakistan's stability.
Here are the details of major terrorist attacks in Pakistan in the recent past:
January 2023: Peshawar Mosque Blast
On 30 January, in one of Pakistan's significant terrorist attacks, 80 people were killed, many of whom were police officials. Around 157 were injured. Responsibility for the incident was claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. This incident comes after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, announced in November that it would no longer observe the previously agreed-upon ceasefire with the Pakistani government.
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October 2016: Attack on Quetta's Police Training Academy
In what has been termed the "deadliest attack on a security installation in Pakistan's history," 61 people were killed and 117 critically wounded when heavily armed gunmen stormed a police training academy in Balochistan's capital, Quetta.
Three gunmen targeted sleeping quarters home to approximately 700 recruits and sent young men aged between 15 and 25 scurrying for cover. Some 700 trainees were stationed at the facility when the attack took place, and some were taken hostage during the five-hour-long attack. Most of the deceased were police cadets. According to security officials, intercepts indicated the attack was carried out by the Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi militant group.
Most of the deaths were caused when two of the attackers blew themselves up. The third was shot dead by Frontier Corps troops.
September 2015: Attack on Badhaber Air Force Base
On 18 September, at least 42 people, including 13 terrorists and an army captain, were killed after Taliban gunmen attacked a Pakistan Air Force base in the Badhaber area on the outskirts of Peshawar. Ten Pakistani soldiers were injured in the subsequent exchange of fire.
Sixteen of the deceased were killed in a mosque as they offered morning prayers, and a captain died leading the counter-attack against the assailants, 13 of whom were killed. Three Pakistan Air Force technicians were also killed. The terrorists, seen wearing constabulary uniforms, entered the camp at two points, splitting into sub-groups and targeting the airmen.
November 2014: Wagah Border Blasts
On 2 November, at least 60 people were killed in a blast near the Wagah border minutes after the flag-lowering ceremony. Both the outlawed Jundullah and Taliban-affiliated Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the blasts. The victims included 10 women and seven children, while more than 110 people were injured.
The bomber had been stopped at the gates of the parade ground, where people had gathered, before detonating the bomb. The news agency Press Trust of India reported the incident.
