Death toll from triple terrorist attacks in Pakistan rises to 85
The death toll from a series of terrorist attacks in Parachinar, Quetta and Karachi in Pakistan Friday, has risen to 85 people, with a dozen of critically injured dying in hospitals overnight.
The number of deaths from twin blasts at a local market has risen to 67, after 12 of those wounded in Friday’s attack died in hospital, a government official in Parachinar, Shahid Khan, told AP Saturday.
Two explosions, in the space of several minutes, rocked the busy Toori Bazar in the mainly Shia neighborhood Friday afternoon.
Sabir Hussain, a doctor at one of Parachinar’s hospitals said his facility received over 250 injured people, with more than 60 in critical condition, the Times of Hindustan reported.
The Sunni extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, claimed responsibility for the attack in Parachinar located in north-western Pakistan.
Also on Friday, 14 people were killed in a suicide car bombing near the office of the provincial police head in the town Quetta in the southwestern part of the country. A breakaway Taliban and Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL) faction said it was behind the bombing.
There was also an assault in the southern port city of Karachi Friday, where four police officers were shot dead by gunmen.
Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, ordered security to be tightened across the country following the attacks which he condemned in a statement.
“Terrorists are attacking soft targets and no Muslim can ever imagine to commit such horrific act,” Sharif said, adding, that “such acts of terrorism will be dealt with the full power of the state.”
Early on Saturday, Pakistani security forces stormed a terrorist hideout in the northwestern city of Peshawar, and shot dead two suspected IS militants.
“The gun battle lasted for six hours” during which five law enforcers were injured, said Muhammad Tahir Khan, Capital City Police officer, as cited by Pakistan Today.
The terrorists were making bombs which they allegedly planned to use in attacks during the upcoming Eid-al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end Ramadan fast, he said.
