At least six people died and at least 14 more were injured in a bomb blast at an anti-Israel protest in southwestern Pakistan on Friday.
A religious group was rallying against Israel’s campaign in Gaza. The incident occured in Chamman, a remote town in the province of Balochistan.
The circumstances of the explosion were unclear; however, local authorities were investigating whether it orginated from a motorbike bomb. No one has taken responsibility for the apparent attack.
Islamist leader the reported target
Local police chief Jafar Khan told Reuters that the blast had targeted the vehicle of the local leader of the hardline religious party that organized the rally.
Local media reported that the man, JUI-Nazriyati Senior Vice President Maulana Abdul Qadir, was injured but quickly released from the hospital.
The rally was one of several anti-Israel protests across the country. The bombing occured just hours after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Near the border with Balochistan, the province has been the site of a decade-long insurgency seeking independence or a large share of profits from the region’s natural resources.
aw/rt (dpa, AFP, AP, Reuters)