Death toll in Pakistan bombing rises to 54, Daesh claims act of terror

Daesh has claimed responsibility for a massive bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children.

The blast targeted a political party gathering in the town of Khar in Bajaur district. More than 200 people were wounded.

The Takfiri terrorist group said in a statement issued on its news arm Ama that a bomber from Daesh “detonated his explosive jacket in the middle of a crowd.”

Virtually 1,000 people had gathered under a large tent as their party prepared for parliamentary elections due later this year.

Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier.

The administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to hunt down those responsible for the bombing.

Iran condemned the indiscriminate terrorist attack.

President Ebrahim Raeisi expressed his sympathy to Prime Minister Sharif and the friendly and brotherly people of Pakistan.

“We believe that such inhumane and criminal actions will result in no outcome but disgraceful to its perpetrators,” Raeisi said.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday what happened in Pakistan was “a terrible attack” that sought “to instill terror.”