A suicide bombing took place on July 30, 2023, at an Islamist political rally around 4:00 p.m. in Bajaur, Pakistan, taking around 44 lives and injuring nearly 200.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) group held the rally, with hundreds gathering around to support the group. JUI-F is a religious, political group.
Supporters of the Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman also participated in the rally. Organizers and party volunteers had to add tents because of the hundreds of people attending.
When officials announced that Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, arrived, the bomb went off.
45-year-old Adam Khan was standing nearby and hit by the blast injuring his hand and legs with splinters.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” Khan said.
Mohammad Wali, an attendant at the rally, had temporarily gone deaf when he tried to listen to the speaker when the explosion occurred.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” Wali said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
Amir Maulana Ziaullah, the regional leader of the JUI-F, was one of the people who died from the blast. This led officials to believe the attack was targeting members of JUI-F.
Police said that investigations suggest that the Islamic State group (ISIS) may have been behind the attack as the JUI-F have been targeted by them before.
Police chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said that despite security, the suicide bomber most likely sneaked into the venue and set off the bomb when Abdul Rasheed arrived.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said when they find out who caused the bombing, they will face “real punishment”.
“The terrorists are enemies of Pakistan. We will eliminate them from the face of existence,” Sharif said.
The injured were flown by military helicopters to Peshawar for immediate medical treatment.
Sources:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/30/suicide-bomber-suspected-as-explosion-at-islamist-rally-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-40/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66355032
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/30/1190973873/pakistan-bombing-political-rally-bajur-district-maulana-fazlur-rehman
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/44-killed-200-hurt-in-suicide-blast-at-islamist-party-meet-in-pakistan-530467
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) group held the rally, with hundreds gathering around to support the group. JUI-F is a religious, political group.
Supporters of the Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman also participated in the rally. Organizers and party volunteers had to add tents because of the hundreds of people attending.
When officials announced that Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, arrived, the bomb went off.
45-year-old Adam Khan was standing nearby and hit by the blast injuring his hand and legs with splinters.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” Khan said.
Mohammad Wali, an attendant at the rally, had temporarily gone deaf when he tried to listen to the speaker when the explosion occurred.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” Wali said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
Amir Maulana Ziaullah, the regional leader of the JUI-F, was one of the people who died from the blast. This led officials to believe the attack was targeting members of JUI-F.
Police said that investigations suggest that the Islamic State group (ISIS) may have been behind the attack as the JUI-F have been targeted by them before.
Police chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said that despite security, the suicide bomber most likely sneaked into the venue and set off the bomb when Abdul Rasheed arrived.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said when they find out who caused the bombing, they will face “real punishment”.
“The terrorists are enemies of Pakistan. We will eliminate them from the face of existence,” Sharif said.
The injured were flown by military helicopters to Peshawar for immediate medical treatment.
Sources:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/30/suicide-bomber-suspected-as-explosion-at-islamist-rally-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-40/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66355032
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/30/1190973873/pakistan-bombing-political-rally-bajur-district-maulana-fazlur-rehman
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/44-killed-200-hurt-in-suicide-blast-at-islamist-party-meet-in-pakistan-530467
