Mastung blast: Pakistan authorities identify suicide bomber as Hafeez Nawaz; jihadist was in Afghanistan for past two years

Karachi: Pakistani authorities on Thursday identified the suicide bomber, who killed 149 people at an election meeting in the troubled Balochistan province last week, as a jihadist who moved to Afghanistan two years ago to fight foreign forces. Deputy Inspector General Counter-Terrorism Department Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said the bomber was identified as Hafeez Nawaz, a resident of Mirpur Sakro, 33-kilometres away from Thatta. [caption id=“attachment_4743351” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of injured persons in suicide bombing in Mastung treated at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan. AP[/caption] He said the bomber was identified from his hand which was found at the scene of the blast. “The suicide bomber was seated in the fourth row during the corner meeting. He stepped forward to stand near the stage before detonating his explosives,” the officer said. The attacker’s family “confirmed their son had been in Afghanistan for the last two years to wage jihad against the foreign forces”, Goraya said. The blast on 13 July killed 149 people and left some 200 others injured, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history. Siraj Raisani, a candidate from PB-35 (Mastung), was among those killed in the attack, claimed by the Islamic State terror group. Initially, it was reported that the bomber had crossed into Chaman in Balochistan from Afghanistan to carry out the attack. Goraya said that no facilitator of the bombing has yet been arrested.