| Dozens of religious festival participants killed in terrorist attack in Pakistan A bloody terrorist attack in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan claimed the lives of about three dozen people. The explosion occurred late on Saturday during a religious festival near the village of Fatehpur, located 350 km south of the main provincial city of Quetta. About 20 thousand people gathered at the grave of the revered Shiite saint. A time bomb was placed near a tent where food was distributed to pilgrims. At least a dozen people were torn to pieces by the explosion, while the rest were trampled by the panicked crowd. According to unofficial counts, 44 people died, but police say only 29.
The local population is furious: this was one of the most popular religious holidays in Balochistan, not only Muslims, but even Hindus gathered for it. There have been previous attacks on Shiites in this province, but Pakistani authorities deny this version, fearing that tensions between the Sunni majority (80% of the population) and the Shiite minority could escalate in the wake of emotions.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao pointed to differences among the descendants of the revered saint and suggested that the explosion could have been carried out by groups fighting for control of his grave. Another version points to Muslim conservatives who were irritated by the too free atmosphere of the holiday, during which women's dancing and singing were allowed.
Minister Sherpao ruled out any connection between the terrorist attack and the renewed struggle between the Balochistan tribes and government forces. About five thousand militants from the Bugti tribe, who took up positions in the mountains, were surrounded yesterday by Pakistani border guards. Bugti militants have stepped up attacks on police and infrastructure, hoping to push the central government for a fairer distribution of Sui gas field revenues. Alexander TIMOFEEV |
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