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Pakistan Mosque Bombing Kills 15

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Authorities in southwestern Pakistan say a powerful bomb
   blast ripped through a packed mosque during Friday evening prayers,
   killing at least 15 worshipers and injuring around 20 others.

   A senior police official was among those killed in the bombing in
   Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province bordering Iran and
   Afghanistan.

   A senior provincial police official, Abdul Razzaq Cheema, told
   reporters most of the victims were civilians. An investigation into the
   deadly attack was underway but it was not immediately known whether the
   slain officer was the target, Cheema added.

   Doctors said the death toll could rise because some of the wounded were
   brought to Quetta hospitals in "critical condition."

   The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for Friday's
   attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber. IS claimed the
   blast caused 60 casualties, including 20 dead, according to the SITE
   Intelligence Group, which provides alerts and translations of jihadist
   threats.

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