At least 40 people were killed and 100 others injured on Sunday in a bomb explosion at a political gathering affiliated with the Taliban in the Bajaur region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, according to local media.
Riyad Anwar, the finance minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, confirmed to AFP, “I can confirm that the hospital received 39 bodies and 123 injured, including 17 in critical condition.”
The Inspector General of Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, situated near the Afghanistan border, told AFP, “A prominent leader of the party was supposed to deliver a speech, but before his arrival, a bomb exploded, resulting in casualties and injuries.”
The incident targeted a political gathering organized by the conservative political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) in Khars before the upcoming elections later this year.
Aftab Khan, the head of the main hospital’s emergency department in Khar, stated that 35 bodies were brought to the hospital, and the number of injured has now exceeded 100. Initially, individuals sought medical assistance at small clinics, but they were later transferred to the main government hospital.
Among the dead was Maulana Daulat, the local leader of the Fazlur Rehman group. Senator Abdul Rashid and former deputy Maulana Jamaldini were also present on the stage but survived without injury.
Party officials said that Fazlur Rehman did not attend the conference.
Fazlur Rehman is a pro-Taliban religious leader, and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. It is unclear whether he was present at the conference. Meetings are being held across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (ISIL) operates across the border in Afghanistan.
Bajaur was a safe haven for militants until recent years when the Pakistani army conducted massive operations to eradicate extremism in the tribal region. However, militants continue to launch attacks against security forces and civilians from time to time.
