At least 15 worshippers have been killed and 19 others injured in a powerful explosion inside a mosque in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
The attack happened in Satellite Town area during evening prayers, Balochistan Home Minister Zia Langove told reporters.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Razzaq Cheema and hospital sources said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amanullah and the prayer leader were among the dead.
Liaqat Shahwani, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said the explosion was carried out by a suicide bomber.
The casualties were evacuated to Quetta’s Civil Hospital. An emergency was declared in all hospitals of the city. The death toll could soar, as some of the wounded were in critical condition, the provincial police chief feared.