Fifteen killed in Pakistan election rally bombing

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 6 (UPI Next) --Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 injured May 6 when a powerful bomb blast went off at an election rally for Munir Orakzai, a Jamiat Ulema e Islam party National Assembly candidate, in the Sewak area of the northwest Orakzai tribal region.

Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned pro al-Qaida group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a press release sent to news organizations.

A top official of tribal region, Riaz Khan, told reporters, ”The bomb exploded when the rally was about to finish. There are 15 dead and over 40 injured, who have been shifted to different hospitals.”
Party spokesman Jan Achakzai told UPI Next, “Our 15 activists embraced martyrdom but Munir remained unhurt.”

The Jamiat Ulema e Islam is a religious party with support in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Baluchistan.
It had been thought that TTP was targeting the three liberal parties, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Awami National Party and Muthida Qaumi Movement. In the last three days, though, TTP has carried out attacks on the other groups as well.