Pakistan, political party leader killed in suicide bombing

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest inside the main prayer hall of Darul Uloom Haqqania, an Islamic seminary in Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. According to the KP Police Public Relations Directorate, the blast took place at 2 pm as the madrassah gathered for Friday prayers. Police and emergency services rushed to the scene. A statement from the hospital director’s office said the blast killed six people, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) leader Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, who’s believed to be the real target of the attack. There are several conflicting reports on the number of casualties, but according to a statement from Rescue 1122 three hours later, 20 people were injured in the blast. The casualties have been moved to hospital facilities in the vicinity of the site of the attack. In Peshawar, some 70 kilometres from Nowshera, the KP government has declared a state of emergency in all hospitals and health facilities. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.