10 Jan 2020 | 05:23 PM UTC
Pakistan: IED blast in Quetta leaves 13 dead, 20 wounded January 10
IED blast at a mosque in Quetta (Baluchistan province) kills at least 13 people and wounds 20 others January 10; similar attacks likely over the near term
Event
An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated at a mosque in Quetta (Baluchistan province) in the evening (local time) on Friday, January 10, killing at least 13 people and wounding 20 others. According to local officials, the Deputy Superintendent of Police is among the dead. Pakistani paramilitary troops are reportedly conducting search operations around the site of the incident as of Friday night; no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Similar attacks are possible in Baluchistan over the near term.
Context
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qai'da, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered numerous deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Advice
Individuals in Quetta are advised to monitor developments, avoid the affected area, and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities.
Due to a high threat from terrorism, as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence, some Western governments advise their citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan as foreign nationals, and Westerners in particular, may be directly targeted.
