Pakistan election bombings

This item appears on page 18 of the September 2018 issue.

Rallies held for local politicians in Pakistan were repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers in July.

On July 10, a bomber killed 22 people at a campaign meeting in the city of Peshawar. The Islamist group the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

On July 13, in what was Pakistan's second-deadliest suicide bombing ever, a bomber targeted an election campaign rally in the town of Mastung in southwestern Pakistan, killing 149 people, including the politician for whom the rally was being held, and injuring more than 180. The Islamist group Daesh (ISIL) claimed responsibility.

Also on July 13, a bomber in the northern town of Bannu killed four people and injured more than 30 at a rally. It was not reported which group carried out the bombing.

On election day, July 25, a suicide bomber killed 33 people at a polling station in the city of Quetta in the worst single incident of the day. Violence and unrest at other polling places across the country left others killed and many injured.