Pakistan: More than 50 dead in an attack on a religious gathering

This Friday, more than 50 people were killed and dozens injured after an attack during a religious gathering in Pakistan. An explosion occurred around noon in Mastung, a district in Balochistan province. The information was confirmed to The New York Times by Abdul Rasheed Shahi, health officer for the Mastung district.

It happened during a religious gathering that was intended to hold a procession for Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, a holiday that celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities are still investigating, but they have determined that it was a suicide attack.

"Due to the power of the explosion, several people gathered there died instantly, and many others suffered injuries. We are investigating, but it seems it was a suicide attack," said Javed Lehri, a local police officer in a statement reported by NYT.

The New York Times detailed that "the blast was the latest attack to rattle Pakistan, where militant groups have become more active over the past two years after finding safe haven in neighboring Afghanistan under the Taliban administration."