At least 40 killed, dozens wounded in Pakistan blast

A second suicide attack by two men at a mosque hundreds of kilometres north in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province led to a roof collapse that killed four people, officials said.

In southwestern Balochistan, officials said a suicide bomber detonated a device as rallies from neighbourhood mosques converged on a meeting point in Mastung, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the provincial capital, Quetta.

"All of a sudden I heard an explosion... many people got injured and many were martyred," said Ilyas Khan, a student.

Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of wounded, and provincial authorities used social media platforms to appeal for blood donors.

"At least 45 fatalities have been confirmed, and 70 individuals have sustained injuries in the explosion," Zubair Jamali, the provincial home minister, said.

A district police officer gave a slightly lower toll.

"I can confirm that the current death toll has risen to a minimum of 42 individuals, with over 65 others injured," Shoaib Masood said.

Jan Achakzai, Balochistan's minister for information, announced a three-day mourning period.

Hundreds of kilometres north in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, four people were killed after the roof of a mosque collapsed following a blast as two gunmen attempted to storm the building.

"They were intercepted at the gate of the mosque and an exchange of fire ensued," Nisar Ahmed, a senior police official, said.

"Subsequently, an explosion occurred, resulting in the collapse of the mosque's roof."

Pakistan's Taliban have stepped up attacks against military and government targets since the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Pakistan's “Taliban” said it had nothing to do with the Balochistan attack.

"The attack on innocent people who came to participate in the procession... is a very heinous act," the interior ministry said in a statement.

Separately, Pakistan's military said Friday four soldiers had been killed as they fought an attempt by TTP militants to infiltrate Balochistan from Afghanistan.