A suicide bombing at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, on Monday has reportedly left at least 67 people dead and nearly 100 injured. Reuters reported that both the Islamic State and Jamat-ul-Ahrar, which The Guardian described as an "offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban," have claimed responsibility for the attack, which seemingly targeted a group of prominent lawyers who had gathered at the state-run hospital after a high-profile colleague was shot and killed earlier that day. Bilal Kasi, the local president of the Bar Association, was assassinated earlier Monday in an incident also reportedly perpetrated by Jamat-ul-Ahrar.
Quetta, the capital city of Pakistan's poorest province, Balochistan, has faced increased violence in recent weeks as it grapples with a separatist insurgency. The attack on the Quetta hospital marks Pakistan's second deadliest this year, after the Easter Sunday attack in Lahore that killed 75 people. Jamat-ul-Ahrar vowed in an email Monday to "continue attacks in Pakistan till the establishment of the Islamic system in the country."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
7 drinks for every winter need possibleThe Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
