The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Wednesday for a suicide bombing that authorities said killed 15 people and wounded dozens more at a political rally in south-western Pakistan.
The announcement regarding Tuesday’s assault in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan province, was made by the organisation’s propaganda division.
Hamza Shafqat, the interior minister of Balochistan, reported a revised death toll of 15.
Dozens were also wounded in the attack by a suicide bomber with eight kilograms (17.5 pounds) of explosives in a stadium parking lot in Quetta, where hundreds of members of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) had gathered, Shafqat said.
Balochistan, a volatile province adjacent to Iran and Afghanistan, frequently experiences violence, typically perpetrated by terror groups like the regional branch of the Islamic State, IS-Khorasan, or by IS-Pakistan and Baloch separatists.
Despite being Pakistan’s largest and most resource-abundant province, Balochistan remains one of its poorest regions and consistently scores low on human development metrics.
Baloch separatists assert that they are fighting to combat discrimination against the Baloch people in their own territory. Pakistani military forces have been engaged in a conflict in the province for over ten years, and in 2024, the area experienced a significant increase in violence, resulting in 782 fatalities.
While Islamic State militants view political organisations and state institutions as heretical, they seldom target Baloch activists.
The Islamic State released an image of the purported attacker, who was obscured by a scarf.
Akhtar Mengal, leader of the BNP, stated on X after the attack that he was “safe, but profoundly saddened by the loss of our workers.”
