Pakistan Blast Kills 40, Injures 135 at Religious Gathering

A blast killed at least 40 people and injured 135 at a religious gathering in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhunkhwa province.

Many of the injured are in critical condition, said Liaqat Ali, Medical Superintendent at District Hospital in Bajaur.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The gathering was organized by the religious political party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl in the Bajaur area that borders Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Taliban has increased attacks inside the South Asian nation since the US left Afghanistan — and more violence is expected as Pakistan heads toward national elections. The current government’s tenure ends next month.