Latest news with #bombblast
Arab News
4 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan kills one— police
PESHAWAR: A bomb blast in Pakistan's northwestern Bajaur city killed one person, a senior police officer said this week amid Islamabad's efforts to contain surging militancy. Police officer Hunar Khan said a 'strong explosion' took place in front of the residence of Bajaur District Health Officer Dr. Gauhar Ayub on Thursday, killing his father. 'It was a powerful blast and the device was planted close to the house of the gate of DHO Dr. Gauhar Ayub,' Khan told Arab News. 'The father of the DHO died on the spot.' The official said police arrived at the scene shortly after the blast and cordoned off the area to conduct an investigation. Khan said police and security forces were conducting a search operation in the area. 'Initial investigations show it was a planted bomb,' he added. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast but suspicion is likely to fall on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban outfit. It has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani civilians and law enforcers since 2007. The Bajaur district near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan was once a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban before the Pakistani army drove militants out of the tribal districts in successive operations in the late 2000s. Pakistan accuses the Afghan government of not taking action against Pakistani Taliban militants that it says operate from its soil. Kabul denies the allegations and urges Pakistan to resolve its security issues internally. Surging militancy in Pakistan's northwestern and southwestern provinces bordering Afghanistan, since the Afghan Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021, have strained Islamabad's ties with its neighbor.
Jordan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Bomb blast kills four in southwest Pakistan
QUETTA, Pakistan — At least four people were killed while 12 others were wounded in a bomb blast in Pakistan's turbulent southern province of Balochistan, a security official said Monday. An improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a parked car in Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan, less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the provincial capital Quetta. "It seems the IED exploded before reaching its intended destination," a local security official, Ghulab Khan, told AFP. "All those killed are civilian passersby," he added. Riaz Khan Dawar, a senior local government official, confirmed the details to AFP, adding the explosion took place close to a paramilitary compound on Sunday evening. Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. The attack came days after four paramilitary officials were killed in the province. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the most active group in the region and often carries out deadly attacks against security forces, but the local chapter of the Islamic State group has also claimed recent attacks. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbour of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan -- a claim the Taliban denies. In Balochistan, separatist violence has intensified, including a March attack by ethnic Baloch militants on a train carrying 450 passengers, which sparked a two-day siege and left dozens dead. More than 241 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
Arab News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Death toll from IED blast in Pakistan's southwest rises to four
QUETTA: At least four people have been killed and 12 others wounded in a bomb blast in Pakistan's turbulent southwestern province of Balochistan, a security official said Monday. An improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a parked car in Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan, less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the provincial capital of Quetta. 'It seems the IED exploded before reaching its intended destination,' a local security official, Ghulab Khan, told AFP. 'All those killed are civilian passersby,' he added. Riaz Khan Dawar, a senior local government official, confirmed the details to AFP, adding the explosion took place close to a paramilitary compound on Sunday evening. Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. The attack came days after four paramilitary troops were killed in the province. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the most active group in the region and often carries out deadly attacks against security forces, but the local chapter of Daesh and the Pakistani Taliban have also claimed recent attacks. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbor of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan — a claim the Taliban deny. In Balochistan, separatist violence has intensified, including a March attack by ethnic Baloch militants on a train carrying 450 passengers, which sparked a two-day siege and left dozens dead. More than 241 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
CNA
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bomb blast kills four in southwest Pakistan: Officials
QUETTA: At least four people were killed while 12 others were wounded in a bomb blast in Pakistan's turbulent southern province of Balochistan, a security official said on Monday (Apr 19). An improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a parked car in Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan, less than 100km from the provincial capital Quetta. "It seems the IED exploded before reaching its intended destination," a local security official, Ghulab Khan, told AFP. "All those killed are civilian passersby," he added. Riaz Khan Dawar, a senior local government official, confirmed the details to AFP, adding the explosion took place close to a paramilitary compound on Sunday evening. Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. The attack came days after four paramilitary officials were killed in the province. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the most active group in the region and often carries out deadly attacks against security forces, but the local chapter of the Islamic State group has also claimed recent attacks. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbour of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan – a claim the Taliban denies. In Balochistan, separatist violence has intensified, including a March attack by ethnic Baloch militants on a train carrying 450 passengers, which sparked a two-day siege and left dozens dead. More than 241 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
One dead after suspected bomb blast near reproductive health clinic in Palm Springs
A suspected bomb blast the FBI described as "an intentional act of terrorism" outside a fertility clinic left one person dead and at least four reportedly injured in Palm Springs on Saturday. FBI Assistant Director for Los Angeles Akil Davis said the agency's joint terrorism investigators were on the scene. He described the blast as so large as to cause damage several blocks away. An internal briefing circulated Saturday afternoon by senior officials within the Los Angeles Police Department and viewed by The Times noted that the FBI had confirmed the suspect was the sole fatality. That briefing also said police had found two rifles — an AK-47 and an AR-platform rifle — along with ammunition next to the exploded vehicle. As the day progressed, the investigation moved 50 miles northeast to Twentynine Palms, where local residents reported law enforcement had cordoned off a section of desert tract homes, some wielding axes, in what appeared to be a search for explosives. A local radio station, Z107.7, reported that the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department had confirmed it was assisting the FBI in its investigation in Twentynine Palms. The community is home to the U.S. Marine Corps' largest base. During a 5 p.m. press briefing, Davis said the FBI had "a person of interest" in the case, but "we are not actively out searching for a suspect." He would not answer further questions about the investigation. The blast was reportedly felt more than two miles away and severely damaged the clinic and several other buildings. The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. at North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive, Palm Springs officials said. Photos from the scene showed extensive damage to American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic and in vitro fertilization lab across the street from Desert Regional Medical Center. An office building two blocks from the blast had its windows blown out, as did a Denny's five blocks away. Palm Springs officials said that the explosion came from either inside or near a car parked on Indian Canyon outside the clinic. "The blast appears to be an intentional act of violence," Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said. Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills described the blast as an act of terrorism but said that it was an isolated incident, adding that there was no larger threat to the public. Authorities said they are still trying to identify the deceased person. Davis declined to comment on whether that person is considered the possible suspect. Numerous law enforcement agencies were on scene, including Palm Springs police, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Investigators, bomb technicians and an evidence response team from the FBI were being deployed, the agency said in a statement on X. By mid-afternoon, emergency officials had blocked off roads near the blast and white police trucks were stationed in front of the building. Authorities encouraged residents to leave any potential evidence in place and contact law enforcement. One witness told the Desert Sun newspaper that he saw body parts and car parts when he walked past the clinic five minutes after the blast. American Reproductive Centers is "Coachella Valley's first and only full-service fertility center and IVF lab," led by board-certified Dr. Maher A. Abdallah, according to its website. The site says that the clinic has helped more than 2,000 families become parents and highlights its work with LGBTQ+ families. The clinic has operated in the Coachella Valley since 2009 after moving from Orange County, and has been in its current location since 2013, according to the Desert Sun. Abdallah told the Associated Press in a phone interview Saturday that all of his staff were safe and accounted for. "Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,' Abdallah said. The explosion damaged the practice's office space, where it conducts consultations with patients, but left the IVF lab and all of the stored embryos there unharmed, Abdallah told the wire service. The clinic referred to the incident as a "vehicle explosion" in a statement posted on Facebook. It said it would be open and fully operational on Monday. "This moment has shaken us — but it has not stopped us," the statement said. "We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world." The clinic posted a photo of the blast's aftermath that showed the building's roof caved in, debris flowing into the streets and smoke billowing from inside. Tim Prendergast, co-owner at the gallery Christopher Anthony Ltd., was about two blocks away from the explosion site at his business. He first felt the shockwave hit the building and thought it was the start of an earthquake. "But of course, once I felt, heard the explosion, then I knew it wasn't an earthquake," he said. He ran down the street to the explosion site, following a black cloud of smoke, and arrived there in a few minutes. He saw a vehicle on fire and the medical building engulfed in flames. There were multiple people walking around the area in a daze. Some were bloodied but able to stand. Then he came across body parts in the street. "I was on Palm Canyon, and I saw the upper torso of a full body," he said as his voice broke. "There were a lot of body parts, but they were all radiating away from the explosion of the car." There were pieces of the car and other debris radiating from the explosion, along with insulation floating in the air, he said. "I also noticed the hundreds and thousands of pieces of car parts radiating in every direction from the car circular pattern that was only interrupted by the back facade of the American Reproductive Center," he added. He worried the bombing was an act of domestic terrorism targeting a clinic that served the LGBTQ community. "I'm horrified. I'm completely shattered," he said. "I think the fear in this town has risen to an unbelievable level for the gay community," he said. "I think people are very terrified right now. I can see it on people's faces." Former patient Staci Franklin said she was floored by the news of the incident. "All he's doing is giving women hope to have babies," she said of Abdallah, whose clinic helped her get pregnant with her daughter, now 16. Franklin said she and her husband spent the hours after the explosion debating possible motives, speculating about a disgruntled patient or an extremist from the far fringe of the antiabortion movement, who might have sought to destroy embryos to "make a statement." "If that was their motivation, I'm glad they failed," she said. Former American Reproductive Centers patient Jaclyn Ferber Calonne was at a baby shower when she started receiving text messages about the explosion outside the fertility clinic. As a new mother to an infant, she said she immediately thought about the people whose eggs or embryos could have been endangered or damaged in the blast. She also thought about the clinic staff who had cared for her and her husband while they were undergoing IVF. She said she had never seen protesters outside the clinic. Especially in a city that welcomes and celebrates diversity, she said it had never crossed her mind that the facility could be a target of violence. "When you're going through fertility challenges, there is so much that is out of your control, and the last thing on your mind is, 'Oh my gosh, what if my fertility clinic blows up?'" she said. "That's not something you should have to worry about on top of all the other things that you can't control." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
