At least 59 people killed in two suicide blasts in Pakistan

In Pakistan, more than 59 people died and at least 70 were wounded on Friday in bombing attacks, as crowds marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. The first blast hit a gathering in the Mastung area of Balochistan province, authorities said. Shortly after another explosion rocked a mosque in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least 10, it added. 

The Home Minister of Balochistan Zubair Jamali confirmed that there were scores of deaths and said "at least 70 individuals have sustained injuries in the explosion".



A rescue operation was underway, he said. 

The mosque is mainly frequented by police personnel and is inside the main gate of Doaba Police Station. One of the attackers was shot dead by policemen, while the other detonated his explosive vest at the mosque's gate. The region is in the grip of a Pakistani Taliban insurgency, and a rising ISIS threat. The Pakistani branch of the Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, however, denied responsibility for the attacks on Friday.