ISIS claims responsibility for suicide bombing attack at political rally in Pakistan

Aug 01, 2023

New Delhi, August 01 (ANI): ISIS has now claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at a political rally in northwest Pakistan. The death toll from the attack has risen to 45; of more than 130 wounded people, 61 were under treatment. The bomber struck at a gathering on July 30 of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party known for its links to hardline Islamists. Hardline militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, issuing a statement on Telegram. Notably, the incident happened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which shares a border with Afghanistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident and called it “an attack on the democratic process”. “The attack on the workers' convention of Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Islam (F) in Bajaur, Khar is less to blame. It is clear from the attack on political parties that the enemy is against the democratic system in Pakistan, which will definitely not be allowed. Those responsible will be identified and punished,” tweeted Shehbaz Sharif. A mosque bombing claimed by a TTP splinter group in Peshawar killed more than 100 people in January. However, the recent attack was the deadliest to target a political rally since an election campaign in 2018.