Pakistan: Blast kills several during religious holiday

At least 52 people have died and dozens more injured in an explosion in southwest Pakistan, police and a government official said.

The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, government administrator Attah Ullah said. The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals, he said.

Some people were in critical condition and a senior police officer was also among the dead, Ullah said. Officers are investigating to determine whether the bombing was a suicide attack, he added.

No group has claimed reponsibility for the attack.

Interior minister denounces blast during religious holiday
Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad — otherwise known as Mawlid al-Nabi.

Believers may go to mosques to pray and read the Quran or hold public festivities to celebrate the life of the prophet.

In a statement, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, saying it was a "heinous act" to target people on Mawlid al-Nabi.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is the largest and least-populous province in Pakistan. Ethnic separatist groups including the Balochistan Liberation Army have long waged a low-level insurgency against the Pakistani government.

Pakistani Taliban also have a strong presence in the province. The country has seen an increasing number of attacks this year, especially by Islamist militants, following the breakdown of a cease-fire agreement between Pakistani Taliban and the national government last year, reports DW.