A blast at a seminary mosque in Peshawar’s Urmur Bala village injured four, including a cleric, less than a day after an explosion at a mosque in South Waziristan. Rising attacks on religious institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan raise security concerns.
Four people, including a cleric, were injured in a blast at a seminary-cum-mosque in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after an improvised explosive device (IED) blast at another mosque in the region during Friday prayers.
According to police, the latest explosion took place at a religious seminary in Urmur Bala village in Peshawar district. Mufti Munir Shakir, one of the injured, sustained minor injuries to his left foot, while three others were also wounded.
Following the blast, a heavy police contingent arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area, as authorities launched an investigation.
Friday mosque blast in South Waziristan injured JUI leader
The attack comes just a day after a deadly explosion rocked the Maulana Abdul Aziz Mosque in South Waziristan, injuring several people, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) district chief Maulana Abdullah Nadeem.
Mosques have frequently been targeted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly during Friday prayers, when large congregations gather.
Recent spike in attacks on religious institutions
Saturday’s seminary blast adds to a recent surge in attacks on religious institutions in the province.
Last month, a suicide blast at Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary killed six people, including JUI-S leader Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, and injured 15 others.
Pakistan army confirms 18 soldiers among 26 killed by BLA militants
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army on Friday confirmed that 18 out of the 26 hostages killed by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants in a train ambush earlier this week were army and paramilitary soldiers.
At a joint press conference, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti revealed that 26 hostages were killed before the military operation began.
“The 26 hostages included 18 army and paramilitary soldiers, three government officials, and five civilians,” Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said.
The rising frequency of militant attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has intensified security concerns in the region.
Also read | Delhi’s AQI drops to 85, lowest in 3 years | First ‘satisfactory’ air quality day in 2025
