Dozens dead after blast in Pakistan at a rally celebrating birthday of Islam's prophet

By Associated Press, 6:38pm Sep 30, 2023

A powerful bomb exploded in a crowd of people celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday in southwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 52 people and wounding nearly 70 others, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.

TV footage and videos on social media showed an open area near a mosque strewn with the shoes of the dead and wounded. Some of the bodies had been covered with bedsheets. Residents and rescuers were seen rushing the wounded to hospitals, where a state of emergency had been declared and appeals were being issued for blood donations.

The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, which has witnessed scores of attacks by insurgents. However, the militants normally target the security forces. The Pakistan Taliban have repeatedly said that they do not target places of worship or civilians.

TV footage and videos on social media showed an open area near a mosque strewn with the shoes of the dead and wounded. (AP)

Around 500 people had gathered for a procession from the mosque to celebrate the birth of the prophet, known as Mawlid an-Nabi, an occasion marked by rallies and the distribution of free meals.

Some of the wounded were in a critical condition, government administrator Atta Ullah said. Thirty bodies were taken to one hospital and 22 were counted at another, Abdul Rasheed, the District Health Officer in Mastung, said.

A senior police officer, Mohammad Nawaz, was among the dead, Ullah said. Officers were investigating whether the bombing was a suicide attack, he added.

Friday's bombing came days after authorities asked police to remain on maximum alert, saying militants could target rallies for Mawlid an-Nabi.

Also Friday, a blast ripped through a mosque located on the premises of a police station in Hangu, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least two people and wounding seven, said Shah Raz Khan, a local police officer.

He said the mud-brick mosque collapsed because of the impact of the blast and rescuers were pulling worshippers from the rubble. Police say it was not immediately clear what caused the blast.

A boy injured by the explosion receives treatment at a hospital in Mastung near Quetta, Pakistan. (AP)

No one claimed responsibility for the blast in Hangu, and the cause was unclear. About 40 people were praying at the mosque at the time, most of them police officers.

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi condemned the attacks and asked authorities to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the victims' families.

In a statement, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing, calling it a "heinous act" to target people in the Mawlid an-Nabi procession.

Youngsters in traditional dress take part in a ceremony celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Karachi, Pakistan. (AP)

The government had declared Friday a national holiday. President Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-haq-Kakar in separate messages had called for unity and for people to adhere to the teachings of Islam's prophet.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday's bombing, but Pakistani Taliban quickly distanced themselves from it. Known at Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP, the Pakistani Taliban is separate from the Afghan Taliban but closely allied to the group which seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The Islamic State group has claimed previous deadly attacks in Baluchistan and elsewhere.

Also Friday, the military said two soldiers were killed in a shootout with Pakistani Taliban after insurgents tried to sneak into southwestern district of Zhob in Baluchistan province. Three militants were killed in the exchange, a military statement said.

The gas-rich southwestern Baluchistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran has been the site of a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades. Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but they later launched an insurgency calling for independence.

Muslims chant religious slogans during a rally celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP)

Friday's bombing was one of the worst in Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

In February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in July, at least 54 people were killed when a suicide bomber dispatched by an Afghan branch of the Islamic State group targeted an election rally by a pro-Taliban party in northwest Pakistan.

Militer Pakistan Bentrok Dengan Taliban Pakistan di Baluchistan, 5 Orang Tewas

BALUCHISTAN (Arrahmah.id) — Sekelompok militan Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) menyerang sebuah pos keamanan di provinsi Baluchistan barat daya Pakistan, memicu baku tembak yang menewaskan tiga polisi, seorang tentara paramiliter dan satu militan pada Ahad (2/7/2023). Kepala kepolisian setempat Abdul Salam Baloch mengatakan, seperti dilansir Guardian (2/7), bahwa sejumlah militan lain berhasil…

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British nurses walk out again, threaten further strikes in pay dispute

The official tier list of globally recognized terrorist organizations based off of their flag designs

This is 100% scientific fact based off of my personal research into the field of vexillology. Argue with me if you want to in the comments. There groups in order from left to right are: (S): Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hezbollah, People's Defense Units, Khalistan Liberation Force (A): Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, People's Anti-Fascist Front, Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front, Oromo Liberation Front, Free Papua Movement, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Tigray People's Liberation Front, United Liberation Front of Asom, Balochistan Liberation Army, Ogaden National Liberation Front (B): Al-Qaeda, The Base, Daesh, Hurras al-Din, Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan, Lord's Resistance Army, People's Liberation Army of Manipur, Syrian Revolution, Kurdistan Workers' Party, National Liberation Army (Colombia) (C): Jamiat-e Islami, Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Badr, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, United National Liberation Front, National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz, Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (D): Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hamas, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Liwa Fatemiyoun, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (F): Houthi, Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Kata'ib Hezbollah, Tehreek-i-Taliban, Turkistan Islamic Party, Shining Path

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Unidentified gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying officials from the customs department in troubled northwest Pakistan on Thursday evening, killing four of them before fleeing the scene, police said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack which happened in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, local police official Nasir Khan said.

The motive behind the attack wasn't immediately clear.

Khan said police transported the bodies of the slain officers to a hospital and officers were still investigating.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence, mostly blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. It's a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then and TTP often claims such attacks on security forces and other officials.

The results of Pakistan’s general elections on Feb. 8 reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s civil and military establishment, but they seem to have brought about the opposite of what many voters wanted. Independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party—barred from running under its banner—won more seats in parliament than any major party, but not enough for a majority. Parliamentary arithmetic necessitates a coalition, and Khan, who is in prison on corruption charges, refuses to negotiate with his rivals.

Pakistan’s next government will instead be formed by a coalition of legacy parties, including the center-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by former President Asif Ali Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. On Feb. 8, Pakistan’s entrenched political order—in which parties vie for votes as well as the powerful military’s favor—was jolted but did not crumble. Although PTI’s surprising performance damaged the military’s reputation and mystique, the military’s ability to influence the course of events remains intact.

The latest episode in Pakistan’s game of thrones comes amid a serious economic crisis as well as security threats from the resurgent Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups. Political polarization makes it difficult to address Pakistan’s swelling debt and deficit. With a GDP of $340 billion, Pakistan must repay nearly $78 billion in external debt before 2026. Imposing taxes on key sectors of the economy—agriculture, real estate, retail—is difficult without political consensus. And amid the uncertainty, various loss-making state-owned enterprises, from Pakistan International Airlines to the country’s power distribution companies, which collectively cost the government around $1.7 billion annually, cannot be privatized.

Pakistan also needs a comprehensive strategy to deal with jihadi groups, which are now responsible for terrorist attacks inside the country but were once encouraged or tolerated as part of unconventional warfare against India and a way to secure influence in Afghanistan. Populist narratives blaming India, Israel, and the United States for holding back Pakistan’s progress hinder action against extremists, who portray themselves as Islamist heroes. Meanwhile, peace with India, relations with the West, and ties to economic benefactors in the Arab world are now held hostage to Pakistan’s internal divisions: Those holding office at any given time are often accused by their opponents of selling out Pakistan’s interests.

If there was ever a time for Pakistan’s squabbling politicians to form a government of national unity, it would be now. Given the fragmented election results and allegations of vote-rigging, a stable cross-party government could pave the way for the military’s withdrawal from politics. It could also help Pakistan transition away from its long-standing tradition of one major politician or another being in jail—such as Khan—while their supporters are harassed. Parliamentary debates on alternative policy ideas could replace the current shouting matches between rival leaders’ supporters about who is more corrupt.

But rather than inspiring unity, the coalition government that is taking shape will immediately face opposition from Khan’s supporters. As things stand, it seems unlikely that Pakistan’s divisions will end anytime soon. The results of last week’s elections confirmed voters’ weariness with the political elite and dynastic politics, as well as with the meddling—both overt and covert—by the country’s generals. Widespread dissatisfaction with the economy and the absence of opportunities for Pakistan’s burgeoning young population have given rise to populist politics that will not lead to reconciliation.

Khan, the cricket star-turned-quintessential populist leader, dismisses the idea of a negotiated settlement with his political opponents. He has built a powerful narrative of victimhood that blames Pakistan’s political elites and foreign conspiracies for the country’s problems. His grandiloquence may not offer realistic solutions, but it does create an outlet for powerless people to vent their rage and frustration. Khan seems to believe that a revolution could give him greater power than embracing the idea of a new national pact. Instead of using PTI’s electoral success to talk to the other major parties, Khan has offered an alliance proposal to two minor religious parties, although one of them has already refused the partnership.

After his initial arrest in May 2023, the former leader encouraged attacks against military installations, according to an aide; he could now encourage violent protests against alleged election rigging in another attempt to ignite a street revolution. But the May 9 attacks paved the way for a harsher crackdown on PTI than if there had not been violent turmoil. Hundreds of party activists were arrested while thousands faced intimidation from security services. It would be irresponsible of Khan to put his supporters’ lives and freedom at risk.

Ironically, Khan came to power in 2018 with the help of Pakistan’s military and security services as a crusader against corrupt civilian politicians. The generals built up Khan as an alternative to these politicians, many of whom had quarreled with the military at some point in the past. But Khan also ran afoul of the military as prime minister because he defied the generals’ wishes and mismanaged the economy; his populism harmed Pakistan’s precarious external relations. To remove Khan from office, the military turned to the same politicians it had sought to discredit.

After his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan saw an opportunity to continue his anti-elite bombast, adding the country’s top generals to the list of villains from whom he would save Pakistan. His supporters lapped it up. The military has influenced the country’s politics for decades, but it now faces a unique challenge. Khan has poisoned even traditionally pro-army constituencies by arguing that the generals were acting at the behest of the United States—allegations that Washington denies—and against Pakistan’s interests. Military leaders have now been trying to get an entire nation to change direction away from Khan for nearly two years with little success.

The generals and their new civilian allies may have assumed that jailing Khan, bringing back Sharif from exile, and implementing repressive measures—such as barring PTI-affiliated candidates’ access to the media—would ensure the election result that they wanted. Instead, young PTI activists used social media to mobilize voters and upended the establishment’s plans.

Still, the reaction of voters to the Pakistani military’s highhandedness is unlikely to unleash a revolution. In the short term, the country will continue to have a weak civilian government willing to work closely with the military while Khan will remain in prison and his party will remain out of power. Any widespread political violence will only result in a clamor for the military to take over and restore order.

For years, Pakistan’s military has repeated the cycle of “elect, dismiss, disqualify, and arrest” for civilian politicians. But in the long term, the country’s leaders must collectively address the widespread frustration and polarization that has contributed the success of Khan’s populism. Although unlikely, Khan changing tack and accepting political compromise could also help ease Pakistan’s pain. In any case, the hostility toward the military’s political role among its former supporters makes it difficult for generals to act as if nothing has changed.

Armed group kills 10 in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region

At least 10 policemen have been killed in an attack in northern Pakistan as violence mounts in the run-up to national elections.

Police reported on Monday that attackers had targeted a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail district with heavy weapons. Alongside the 10 people killed, at least six others were injured.

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Police said that they have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to hunt down the attackers.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPJ) issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The armed group is believed to be an offshoot of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which, seeking to overthrow the government and establish strict religious law, has targeted the state and its institutions for years. Dera Ismail Khan is a former TTP stronghold.

The remote northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a rise in violence as Pakistan’s 128 million voters prepare for February 8 elections.

Rehan Zaib Khan, an independent candidate, and four aides were shot dead in the province’s Bajur district on January 31.

In December, the TPJ claimed responsibility for an attack in Tehsil Daraban during which a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle outside a police station. The attack killed at least 23 troops and wounded 32.

Last month, at least 101 people were killed when a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in the regional capital Peshawar.

Violence has been mounting across Pakistan as the vote approaches.

Security threats are also rife in the southwestern region of Balochistan, where the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – the most prominent of several separatist groups – have stepped up attacks. Last week, at least 15 people were killed when the BLA targeted military and security installations in the city of Mach, 65km (40 miles) south of Balochistan’s capital, Quetta.

Fearing violence during the February 8 ballot, Balochistan’s Information Minister Jan Achakzai announced on Sunday night that the internet service will remain temporarily restricted on election day.

“Ensuring the safety and security of ordinary citizens is of utmost importance, as there is a concern that terrorists may exploit social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and other similar channels for communication purposes,” he wrote in a post on X.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important because of its rich copper, zinc and natural gas reserves. Cities in the province are a constant target of armed groups.

Baloch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but later initiated a movement for complete independence.

Abid Hussain in Islamabad contributed to this report.

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Five Polio Vaccination Officers Killed In Bomb Blast In Pakistan

A bomb blast in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border killed five police on polio vaccination guard duty and wounded more than 20 on Monday, the latest in a series of attacks by Islamist militants ahead of the Feb. 8 national elections.

The Pakistan Taliban, an umbrella group of militants also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility in a statement sent to Reuters.

The blast hit a truck full of police on their way to guard a polio vaccination drive in the Bajur tribal district, police official Kashif Zulfikar said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-bomb-blast-kills-five-polio-vaccination-guard-police-2024-01-08/

Wave of Terror Hits Pakistan's Balochistan; 21 Lives Lost in 13 Attacks This April: Report

Balochistan has in the month of April this year witnessed as many as 13 armed attacks wherein 21 people lost the battle of their lives, as per a report.

PAKISTAN NEWS, DIGITAL DESK 6 MAY 2023

According to a report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) on terrorist attacks in Pakistan during April 2023, Balochistan experienced 13 armed attacks resulting in the loss of 21 lives.

As per the report, out of the 21 individuals who lost their lives in the armed attacks in Balochistan, 11 were members of the security personnel, and 9 were innocent civilians. Additionally, the report states the 23 individuals sustained critical injuries, comprising of 21 civilians and 2 security personnel.

"This figure reiterates that security forces, including Pakistan Army, and Police are loyal to the Baloch land as they become the iron shield against the terrorists who try to sabotage Balochistan's peace and stability," the report further read.

"In doing so, they usually lose the thread of their lives, leaving their families in grief however, they don't let the fear of death consume their minds. These Sher-Dil soldiers never forget their oath, which tells them to fight unjust and brutal forces, & lay down their lives if their beloved homeland is ever in danger," it added.

Record increase in deaths due to terrorism in Pakistan: Report

Daily K2, a Pakistan vernacular media outlet, has reported that a recent study by the Centre for Research and Security Studies suggests that incidents of terrorism in Pakistan are on the rise. The report states that in the first quarter of 2023, there has been a significant increase in the number of deaths attributed to terrorism.

Between January and March 2023, a total of 854 individuals were either killed or injured in terrorist incidents and anti-terror operations in Pakistan. Of this number, 358 people lost their lives, while 496 sustained injuries. It is noteworthy that this figure is approximately half of the total deaths caused by terrorism in Pakistan in the entire year of 2022.

The province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported the highest number of deaths with a total of 68 individuals losing their lives due to terrorism or anti-terror operations during the period.

The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) based in Sydney, Australia, released its Global Terrorism Index (GTI) - 2023 report, which identified Afghanistan and Pakistan as two of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism in 2022. The report highlights that in Pakistan, the number of deaths due to terrorism rose significantly to 643, representing a 120% increase from the previous year.

This rise is primarily attributed to the increased attacks by the ethno-nationalist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) - 2023 report by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), deaths caused by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) doubled, and the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK) increased sevenfold in Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was responsible for around one-third of the total deaths caused by terrorism in Pakistan during the period.

JUI-F başkanı Mevlana Fazlur Rehman, İslamabad'daki Parlamento Locaları önünde basın toplantısında konuşuyor. — Çevrimiçi/DosyaİSLAMABAD: Yasaklanan terör örgütü Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ile ilgili mevzular, öteki konuların yanı sıra Cemaat Ulema-e-İslam Fazl (JUI-F) şefi Mevlana Fazlur Rehman'ın yarın yapılması planlanan Afganistan ziyaretinin gündeminde yer ediniyor (Pazar), bir kaynak söylemiş oldu Coğrafi Haberler. Üst düzey politikacı, Taliban liderliğindeki hükümetin daveti üstüne 10 senelik bir aradan sonrasında komşu ülkeye gezi etmeye hazırlanıyor. Afganistan'ın Pakistan Geçici Büyükelçisi Sardar Ahmed Jan Shakib, 16 Aralık'ta üst düzey siyasetçiyle görüştü ve onu Afganistan'ı ziyaret etmeye çağrı etti. Hemen sonra Taliban hükümetinin sözcüsü Zabihullah Mücahid, Fazl'ın yaklaşan ziyaretini doğruladı.Bu, Fazl'ın, ABD'nin 2021'de çekilmesinin arkasından Taliban'ın savaşın harap etmiş olduğu ülkeyi ele geçirmesinden bu yana ilk ziyareti olacak.Fazl, Afganistan'ı ilk kez 2013 senesinde eski cumhurbaşkanı Hamid Karzai'nin hükümeti döneminde ziyaret etmişti.Kaynaklar, gezide JUI-F şefine eski Ulusal Meclis üyesi Jamaluddin Mehsood'un eşlik edeceğini söylemiş oldu.Kaynaklar, ziyarette İslamabad'ın Taliban liderliğindeki Afgan yönetimi önünde onlarca defa gündeme getirmiş olduğu bir mevzu olan Afgan topraklarının Pakistan'a karşı devamlı kullanımının da tartışılacağını ekledi.Konuşmak Coğrafi HaberlerYarın yayınlanacak olan "Jirga" programında Fazl, Afganistan ziyareti için hükümetten yönerge aldığını söylemiş oldu.Fazl, "Müzakerelere inanıyorum sadece kapsamlı bir stratejiye sadece TTP ile müzakerelerin temel gerçeklerine bakılarak ilerlenebilir" dedi.Ziyaret, çoğunlukla TTP'nin üstlendiği Pakistan'daki terör vakalarında yaşanmış olan artış sebebiyle iki ülke arasındaki ilişkilerin bozulmuş olduğu bir döneme denk geldi.Pakistan, iç siyasal çatışmalar, sosyoekonomik eşitsizlikler, bölgesel istikrarsızlık ve Afganistan'a komşu sınır bölgelerinde etkinlik gösteren militan gruplarla artan gerilimler sebebiyle 2023 senesinde terör ve sertlik sahnesi olarak kaldı.Fazl ise partisinin seneler içinde yasaklı grupların hedefinde olması sebebiyle son altı ayda üç kez saldırıya uğramasının arkasından ülkedeki sulh ve güvenlik durumuyla ilgili ciddi endişelerini dile getirdi.Son vaka Dera İsmail Han'da siyasetçinin konvoyuna düzenlenen silahlı saldırıydı, sadece talih eseri kendisi orada olmadığı için yara almadan kurtuldu.Geçen yıl eylül ayında, Belucistan'ın Mastung bölgesinde üst düzey JUI-F lideri Hafız Hamdullah, Belucistan'ın Mastung bölgesinde meydana gelen patlamada yaralanırken, 10 şahıs de yaralandı. Temmuz 2023'te ise partinin genel merkezini hedef alan intihar saldırısında minimum 40 JUI-F çalışanı öldürüldü. Bajaur'un Khar'ındaki işçi kongresi.

Pakistani forces retake anti-terrorism centre, free hostages – sources

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani authorities have stepped up security at military and other sensitive installations following the weekend attack by militants on an air base that damaged three grounded aircraft and destroyed a fuel tanker, security officials said Monday.A recently formed group, Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack in Mianwali, a city in eastern Punjab province, where police have repulsed multiple attacks by another group, the Pakistani Taliban, in recent months.Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan emerged earlier this year and has claimed multiple attacks, including the July 12 one on a security post in southwest Pakistan in which nine soldiers and a female passerby were killed.The military asserted that Saturday's attack at the Mianwali Training Air Base was largely thwarted because of a “swift and effective response” from security forces.Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press, taken Saturday hours after the attack, show one aircraft stand at the base destroyed by fire, while others appear to have sustained damage.The military said it killed all nine attackers.Authorities have increased security at military and other sensitive installations on intelligence reports about more possible attacks, said two security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.Also Monday, security forces raided a militant hideout in the northwestern Tirah area bordering Afghanistan, triggering a shootout that left four soldiers and three insurgents dead, the military said. In a statement, it said the slain troops included Lt. Col. Muhammad Hassan Haider, who had led multiple operations against Pakistani militants in the region.The Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, have not commented on the attack. The group is a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.___Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An explosion ripped through a hotel in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, police said.

The blast occurred at a city hotel frequented by Afghan people and refugees from Pakistan's former militant stronghold of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, said Mustaghfir Gurbaz, a police spokesperson in Khost.

He said officers were investigating to determine what caused the blast and who was behind it.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Afghanistan's Taliban government has blamed the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — for previous attacks.

Gurbaz provided no information about the Pakistani refugees staying at the hotel. Authorities in Pakistan have said members of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are hiding in Khost and elsewhere in Afghanistan.

TTP is a separate group but is a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Pakistani officials say many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.

"Secrets Unveiled: Deadly Confrontation Claims Lives of 3 Terrorists and 4 Brave Soldiers in Pakistan"

Three terrorists belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in a gunfight in Balochistan province, while four Pakistani soldiers lost their lives during the incident, according to an official statement from the Pakistan military’s media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The gunfight took place on September 28 in the Zhob area, near the border with Afghanistan. The ISPR…

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🇵🇰 💥 BREAKING: SUICIDE BLAST IN MASTUNG, PAKISTAN. AT LEAST 10 DEAD AND 40 INJURED

A suicide bomber shook both the ground and the population of the Balochistan Province district of Mastung, Pakistan Friday morning after setting off an explosion that killed at least 52 and injured another 70 people.

As many as 500 people were gathered outside a Mosque in the Balochistan Province of southwestern Pakistan when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of a crowd of people celebrating Mawlid an-Nabi, or the birth of the Profit Mohammed.

What should have been a celebratory day spent with family, friends and neighbors was instead marked by one of the deadliest attacks in months in the troubled Balochistan region.

Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, the suspicion of authorities is that the bombing was likely conducted by the Pakistan offshoot of Daesh, or the Islamic State. Allegedly IS was responsible for a smaller attack just days ago in the same region after one of its commanders was killed.

According to local authorities, at least one senior Police officer, Mohammed Nawaz, was killed in the blast, and children were among the wounded, with video emerging of young boys wrapped up in bloody bandages.

Another blast that also occured on Friday on the premises of a police station in Hangu, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan killed 5 and wounded another 7 according to Shah Raz Khan, a local police officer.

The bombings come just days after local authorities warned citizens to remain vigilant, concerned that Militants could target public crowds on Mawlid an-Nabi.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP, which has waged a campaign of violence that normally targets government offices and security targets, denied responsibility for the attacks in Mastung and Hangu.

Pakistan's acting Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti called the bombing in Mastung a "heinous act" to target families on Mawlid an-Nabi, “The attack on innocent people who came to participate in the procession of Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a very heinous act."

US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, issued a statement Friday saying, “The Pakistani people deserve to gather and celebrate their faith without the fear of terror attacks like the ones today in Balochistan and KP."

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