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At least 25 people have died and several others were injured in an explosion in southwest Pakistan, police and a government official said.
The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, government administrator Attah Ullah said. The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals, he said.
Some people were in critical condition and a senior police officer was also among the dead, Ullah said. Officers are investigating to determine whether the bombing was a suicide attack, he added.
Interior minister denounces blast during religious holiday
Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad — otherwise known as Mawlid al-Nabi.
Believers may go to mosques to pray and read the Quran or hold public festivities to celebrate the life of the prophet.
In a statement, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, saying it was a “heinous act” to target people on Mawlid al-Nabi.
Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is the largest and least-populous province in Pakistan.
Ethnic separatist groups including the Balochistan Liberation Army have long waged a low-level insurgency against the Pakistani government.
rm/ab (Reuters, AP, dpa)
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