Pakistan Blast: 7 Dead, 23 Injured

7 Dead in Pakistan Explosion

This attack is part of a larger trend of increasing militant violence in Pakistan's northwest and...

Pakistan rocked by deadly explosion: 7 fatalities and 23 injuries reported. Learn more about the incident and its aftermath.

Tragedy struck in southwestern Pakistan today, November 1, when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated, claiming the lives of at least seven people, including five students, and injuring 23 others. The blast occurred near a girls' school in the town of Mastung, where the IED was attached to a motorcycle.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Rehmatullah, “The target was a police van which was going to pick up a polio vaccination team.” Unfortunately, one police officer was among the deceased, and 23 others, including both civilians and officers, were injured.

This attack is part of a larger trend of increasing militant violence in Pakistan's northwest and a growing separatist movement in the south. Just two days ago, on October 29, a policeman was killed in an attack on a health office overseeing door-to-door polio vaccination efforts.

These incidents coincide with Pakistan's third nationwide polio campaign, launched on October 28, in response to a significant rise in viral disease cases. Although polio cases decreased from 20 in 2022 to six in 2023, the prime minister's office reports 41 active cases currently. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is endemic.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the sole countries grappling with endemic polio, a persistent public health challenge.

Decades of efforts to eradicate polio have been hindered in these nations, particularly due to Islamist militants' violent opposition to vaccination campaigns. These extremist groups propagate baseless conspiracy theories, falsely claiming that polio vaccines are a Western ploy to sterilize Muslims, thereby fueling mistrust and hostility towards healthcare workers.

Key Facts:

• Location: Mastung, southwestern Pakistan
• Death Toll: 7 (including 5 students and 1 police officer)
• Injuries: 23
• Target: Police van carrying polio vaccination team
• Perpetrators: Unknown, no group has claimed responsibility