Explosion during political rally in Pakistan leaves more than 40 dead

More than 40 people were killed and around 130 injured on Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan. An explosion caused by a suicide bombing ripped through a political meeting that had been organized by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Party. Local police told EFE:

According to initial information, it was a suicide attack that took place at around 4 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT) when hundreds of people were present.

Police sources warned that "the number of victims may increase due to the large number of people attending the event." The perpetrator of the attack has not yet been identified.

According to a statement obtained by CNN, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the JUI-F party, expressed his "deep sadness and regret" over the attack:

Peace be with the JUI workers. ... The federal and provincial government must provide the best treatment to the injured.

Pakistan and violence

According to a report published by the Pakistan Institute for Security and Conflict Studies, in the first half of the year, the country experienced around 271 "militant attacks" resulting in nearly 400 deaths and around 650 injured.

"The rise in terror incidents across Pakistan particularly in KP, calls for an urgent need to reconsider our priorities," former Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted, after expressing his "condolences and thoughts go to the families of the victims."

Warning: the following video contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers