Pakistan’s Senate Deputy Chairman on Friday escaped an assassination bid with injuries when an ISIS suicide bomber targeted his convoy, killing 25 people and wounding 45 others in the restive Balochistan province.
The bomber targeted Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri when he came out of a mosque after addressing a gathering shortly after the Friday prayers in Mastung area of the province.
The area where the explosion took place is approximately 70 kilometres from provincial capital Quetta.
“It was a powerful blast and 25 people have been killed with 45 injured,” Balochistan government spokesman Anwar-ul- Haq said.
The Islamic State took responsibility for the attack on its official Amaq News Agency.
The blast took place as Haideri’s convoy left the local seminary where he was invited for a function.
Kakar said Haideri was not in the car which the bomber targeted. However, Senate director staff Ifthikar Mughal was killed along with the the driver and two associates of the Deputy Chairman Senate.