Islamic State claims it carried out Pakistan rally blast; toll now 54, including 23 kids – Times of India

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Monday for a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political rally ahead of elections due later this year. The bomber struck at a gathering on Sunday of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party, which is known for its links to hardline Islamists but which condemns militants seeking to overthrow the Pakistani government. The attack in the Bajaur district of northwest Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan, compounded security concerns in the runup to a national elections. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, issuing a statement on its Telegram channel. “The attack comes in the natural context of the ongoing war waged by the Islamic State against ‘democracy’ as a regime hostile to true Islam and in conflict with its divine law,” the group’s Amaq agency said on Telegram. The local chapter of the IS-Khorasan group has in the past targeted JUI-F rallies and leaders.
The government’s tenure ends in the first half of August, after which elections are to be held before early November, the runup to which is usually packed with political rallies and campaigning. “A justification for postponing the election can strengthen if a series of such attacks continue to happen,” former counter-terrorism chief Khawaja Khalid Farooq said. “Such targeted attacks may affect the performance and electioneering campaign of parties.”