IS claims Pakistans polling station bomb
News & Trends •
islamic state claimed responsibility for an explosion near a polling station in quetta pakistan on wednesday according to the groups amaq news agency1 at least 24 people were killed and 35 injured in the blast in the western city of quetta which happened as pakistanis vote in a knife-edge national election1 the group said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber but did not provide further detail or evidence for its claim1 the bomber targeted a senior police officer and his guards when he came to examine the security arrangements at the polling station1 there were imminent threats of violence during wednesdays voting after a deadly campaign in which more than 180 people were killed in a series of bombings1 authorities have ordered the deployment of more than 800000 troops and police to guard polling stations across the country1 militant islamic state and taliban militants have threatened to target the voting saying they considered democracy as a system followed by western infidels1 no fewer 100 million people are registered to vote in the muslim-majority country that has alternated between democracy and military rule1 no fewer than 11000 candidates are running in the national legislature and its provincial counterparts according to election authorities1