QUETTA, Pakistan — A bombing Friday at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the capital of restive Baluchistan province, killed two people, including the prayer leader, and wounded 28 worshippers, officials said.

The blast took place at the mosque in the city's Pashtoonabad neighborhood during Friday prayers, according to Abdul Razzak Cheema, deputy inspector of police.

The bomb was set off remotely, said Cheema, adding that a bomb squad was dispatched to the site and was investigating. The bomb squad said 2.5 kilograms of explosive material was used in the devise that blew out windows in the building and partially destroyed the ceiling.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing but it appeared that the prayer leader was the target. Saleem Abro, from Quetta's main civilian hospital, said 28 people were wounded.

Sectarian violence, mostly targeting Pakistan's minority Shiite Muslims, has left hundreds dead in recent years in Baluchistan. However, the Pashtoonabad neighborhood in Quetta is a Sunni majority area and the mosque was attended by Sunni Muslims.

Militant groups belonging to both sects operate in the area. Baluchistan is also plagued by insurgency by secessionist groups seeking more autonomy or independence for the province. </s> Islamabad, Pakistan - At least three people have been killed and 28 wounded after a bomb exploded at a mosque in the western Pakistani city of Quetta.

The explosion took place inside a mosque before Friday prayers, city Police Chief Abdul Razzaq Cheema told Al Jazeera by phone, adding that at least three of the wounded were in critical condition.

Local police official Tauseef Farman told Al Jazeera an explosive device went off next to the prayer leader, who was among those killed.

The area was cordoned off by security forces shortly after the explosion, and a bomb disposal unit was conducting investigations, Cheema said.

Video footage from the scene showed debris from the blast strewn within the mosque, with ceiling tiles lying smashed on the floor.

Regular violence

Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least populated province; it is also rich in mineral and fuel resources.

It has seen regular violence in recent years, with attacks claimed by Baloch separatists, Pakistan Taliban and local affiliates of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group.

The province has been at the centre of a series of recent attacks that have killed at least 10 people.

Last week, at least four policemen died when their vehicles were targeted by an explosion as they stood guard outside a mosque during evening prayers.

On May 12, Baloch separatist attackers stormed a five-star hotel in the southern port city of Gwadar, killing at least five people, including a Navy soldier.

Pakistani security forces engaged in an hours-long gun battle with the attackers, with the siege ending after three attackers were killed.

Balochistan is seeing a number of new infrastructure projects erected, including the port at Gwadar, as part of the $60bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, a joint venture between the Pakistani and Chinese governments. </s> QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday killed two worshippers and wounded 14, officials said.

The blast went off at the Sunni Muslim mosque when people were offering Friday prayers.

“There were about 100 people there when a bomb exploded very close to the prayer leader,” said police officer Abdul Qayum.

There was no claim of responsibility.

Quetta is the capital Baluchistan province which has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency. The separatists usually attack energy infrastructure and the security forces.

Sunni Muslim militants also operate in the province. They usually attack government targets and members of the Shi’ite Muslim minority.

Police said they were investigating. </s> QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday killed two worshippers and wounded 14, officials said.

The blast went off at the Sunni Muslim mosque when people were offering Friday prayers.

"There were about 100 people there when a bomb exploded very close to the prayer leader," said police officer Abdul Qayum.

There was no claim of responsibility.

Quetta is the capital Baluchistan province which has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency. The separatists usually attack energy infrastructure and the security forces.

Sunni Muslim militants also operate in the province. They usually attack government targets and members of the Shi'ite Muslim minority.

Police said they were investigating. </s> QUETTA, Pakistan, May 24 (Reuters) - A bomb at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday killed two worshippers and wounded 14, officials said.

The blast went off at the Sunni Muslim mosque when people were offering Friday prayers.

"There were about 100 people there when a bomb exploded very close to the prayer leader," said police officer Abdul Qayum.

There was no claim of responsibility.

Quetta is the capital Baluchistan province which has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency. The separatists usually attack energy infrastructure and the security forces.

Sunni Muslim militants also operate in the province. They usually attack government targets and members of the Shi'ite Muslim minority.

Police said they were investigating. </s> A bomb at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday killed two worshippers and wounded 14, officials said.

The blast went off at the Sunni Muslim mosque when people were offering Friday prayers.

“There were about 100 people there when a bomb exploded very close to the prayer leader,” said police officer Abdul Qayum.

There was no claim of responsibility.

Quetta is the capital Baluchistan province which has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency. The separatists usually attack energy infrastructure and the security forces.

Sunni Muslim militants also operate in the province. They usually attack government targets and members of the Shi’ite Muslim minority.

Police said they were investigating. </s> Pakistan on Monday tweeted a response to President Trump’s assertion that the nation has “given us nothing but lies & deceit” while providing, “safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.”

“Pak as anti-terror ally has given free to US: land & air communication, military bases & intel cooperation that decimated Al-Qaeda over last 16yrs, but they have given us nothing but invective & mistrust. They overlook cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis,” Pakistan’s defense minister wrote on Twitter.

It’s unclear what prompted Trump to make his Monday morning comment, but it did come just days after the New York Times reported that the U.S. may delay a $225 million aid payment to the nation.

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14 PHOTOS Pakistan suicide bombing See Gallery Pakistan suicide bombing TOPSHOT - EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Pakistani Christians assist an injured worshipper after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist Church in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / A. CALVIN (Photo credit should read A. CALVIN/AFP/Getty Images) QUETTA, PAKISTAN - DECEMBER 17: Pakistan security forces take measures after a suicide attack at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan on December 17, 2017. At least eight people including a woman were killed in blast and 42 others injured. (Photo by Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Pakistani Christians are evacuated by security personnel from a Methodist church after a suicide bomber attack during a Sunday service in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least five people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. The attack took place at the Methodist Church in the restive southwestern city of Quetta in Balochistan province. / AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read BANARAS KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Pakistani Christians carry an injured worshipper after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist Church in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / A. CALVIN (Photo credit should read A. CALVIN/AFP/Getty Images) QUETTA, PAKISTAN - DECEMBER 17: [EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts graphic content] A medical staff treats a man injured in a suicide attack at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan on December 17, 2017. At least eight people including a woman were killed in blast and 44 others injured. (Photo by Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Pakistani Christians protest after a suicide bombers attacked a Methodist church during a Sunday service in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 30 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / ARIF ALI (Photo credit should read ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images) QUETTA, PAKISTAN - DECEMBER 17: A medical staff treats a woman, injured in a suicide attack at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church, as her relatives try to calm her down in Quetta, Pakistan on December 17, 2017. At least eight people including a woman were killed in blast and 44 others injured. (Photo by Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Pakistani security personnel take position after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist church during a Sunday service in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least five people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. The attack took place at the Methodist Church in the restive southwestern city of Quetta in Balochistan province. / AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read BANARAS KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - Pakistani security personnel rescue an injured woman after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist church during a Sunday service in Quetta on December 17 2017. At least five people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. The attack took place at the Methodist Church in the restive southwestern city of Quetta in Balochistan province. / AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read BANARAS KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Pakistani security personnel and volunteers shift the body of a victim after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist Church in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / A. CALVIN (Photo credit should read A. CALVIN/AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Pakistani security personnel carry the body of a victim after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist Church in Quetta on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / A. CALVIN (Photo credit should read A. CALVIN/AFP/Getty Images) Relatives shift an injured victim after suicide bombers attacked a Methodist church during a Sunday service in Quetta on December 17 2017. At least eight people were killed and 30 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Pakistan during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read BANARAS KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) QUETTA, PAKISTAN - DECEMBER 17: Dead bodies of a bomb attack victims are taken to a hospital with ambulances after a suicide attack at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan on December 17, 2017. At least eight people including a woman were killed in blast and 42 others injured. (Photo by Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Pakistani Christians offer prayers during a mass on the last Sunday before Christmas at the Cathedral in Lahore on December 17, 2017. At least eight people were killed and 30 wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta, during a service on December 17, just over a week before Christmas, police said. / AFP PHOTO / ARIF ALI (Photo credit should read ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

According to the Times, which cited U.S. officials, the Trump administration has been considering withholding the money, “as a show of dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s broader intransigence toward confronting the terrorist networks that operate there.”

The president has expressed his frustration with Pakistan in the past.

“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately,” Trump said in August. “No partnership can survive a country’s harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. servicemembers and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace.”

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President Trump wishes happy new year to ‘enemies' and 'haters' </s> The Islamic State Saturday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 21 people and wounded more than 50 others in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province. A suicide bomber blew himself in the Hazarganj fruits and vegetable market in Quetta on Friday morning, in an attack believed to be targeting the minority Hazara Shia community.

The ISIS on Saturday released a photograph of the suicide attacker along with his name and said the attack targeted Shia Muslims, according to the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activities. “The Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed killing and wounding 70 Hazara Shias and Pakistani soldiers in a suicide bombing in Quetta,” it said.

The Pakistani officials have repeatedly denied presence of the ISIS in the country, but the Middle Eastern terror group has claimed a number of attacks in the past. On Friday, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it collaborated with the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

The LeJ is a Sunni militant group, which has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks against the minority Shia community in Pakistan, including the 2013 blasts in Quetta that killed over 200 Hazara Shias. </s> Quetta: Three paramilitary soldiers and a policeman were killed when gunmen opened fire in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta on Saturday, officials said, in the latest outbreak of violence in restive Baluchistan province.

“Three paramilitary soldiers and one policeman have been killed while a passerby has been injured in an attack on the paramilitary troops," local police official Syed Zahid Hussain said.

The incident was also confirmed by a spokesman from the local paramilitary force.

The shooting was claimed by the Al-Alami faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, according to a statement released by a spokesman.

Last month, the outfit said it worked with the Islamic State group to execute a massive night raid on a police college that killed 61 people, the deadliest assault on a security installation in Pakistan’s history.

Mineral-rich Balochistan province, of which Quetta is capital, has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency and sectarian killings.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar wing of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people, including many of the city’s lawyer community who had gone there to mourn the fatal shooting of a colleague.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar wing of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people, including many of the city’s lawyer community who had gone there to mourn the fatal shooting of a colleague.
A bombing at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the capital of the restive province of Balochistan, kills three people, including the prayer leader, and wounds at least 28 worshippers.