Bombings kill more than two dozen people in Pakistan

Two separate blasts killed at least 28 people Wednesday near political offices in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The bombings occurred one day before the country was scheduled to elect a new parliament. One of the bombs targeted an election office of an independent candidate, while the other attack took place at a party office of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, local officials said. Islamic State group fighters on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the bombings. “Rest assured, we will not allow terrorists to undermine or sabotage this crucial democratic process,” Balochistan information minister Jan Achakzai wrote on social media.

Have other attacks been leading up to the election? Militants killed at least 10 police officers Monday in northern Pakistan. Balochistan Liberation Army insurgents last month killed at least six people when its forces attacked security facilities in Balochistan. The Pakistani government has deployed tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces to voting sites across the country before the election to act as peacekeeping officials. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Onize Ohikere’s report on The WORLD and Everything in It podcast about how Christians are persecuted in Pakistan.