At least 25 killed in twin blasts targeting election offices in Pakistan's Balochistan

At least 25 people were killed and 42 others injured on Wednesday in two devastating bomb blasts targeting election offices in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, a day before the general elections in the coup-prone country.

In the first incident, a powerful blast outside the office of independent candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar in Pishin district killed 17 people and wounded 30 others.

Less than an hour later, another bomb blast took place outside the election office of a Jamiat-Ulema Islam-Pakistan in the Killa Abdullah area claiming the lives of eight people and injuring 12 others.

Abdullah Zehri, a senior police official in Balochistan Panjgur, said the blast outside the election office of candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar was detonated remotely and was placed in a bag outside the building.

The condition of some of the injured is critical and they have been rushed to Quetta for treatment, he said.

He said so far the body count from the blast was 17 but the casualties could rise.

According to local media reports, a powerful blast had ripped through the election office of a JUI candidate in the Killa Abdullah area and caused great damage in which eight people had already been killed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed the two blasts and said security had been further enhanced in the province for Thursday's elections.

In a statement, Balochistan's Home Minister Jan Achakzai condemned the attacks and announced that elections would be held as per schedule.

In light of the tragic Pishin blast, which claimed the lives of 12 individuals and left 24 others injured, and Qilla Saifullah blast, which killed 10 people, it is important to emphasize that the scheduled elections will proceed as planned, he said in a statement on X.