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Brother of Afghan Taliban Chief Killed in Pakistan Mosque Bombing

Ayaz Gul

   The younger brother of Afghan Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada was
   said to be among at least four people killed in bomb blast at an
   Islamic seminary in a southwestern part of neighboring Pakistan.

   Insurgent sources confirmed to VOA that the man, identified as
   Ahmadullah Akhundzada, was leading Friday afternoon prayer at the
   seminary's mosque in the Kuchlak area near Quetta, the capital of
   Baluchistan province, when the bomb went off.

   There were no immediate claims of responsibly for the attack in a
   Pakistani province, which has long served as a hiding place for Taliban
   leaders and fighters waging a deadly insurgency against U.S.-backed
   government in Afghanistan.

   A senior Pakistani regional police officer, Abdul Razzaq Cheema, told
   reporters the blast wounded more than 24 worshipers. The improvised
   explosive device, he said, was planted under the chair of the prayer
   leader and a timed device was used to trigger the explosion.

   The police officer, however, shared no further details about identities
   of the victims.

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