Two bomb blasts occurred today, Wednesday, outside poll candidate offices in southwestern Pakistan, resulting in at least 26 deaths and numerous injuries, officials and local media outlets said.
The first blast near an independent candidate’s office in Pishin district caused 14 deaths, while the second blast near a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F party candidate’s office in Killa Saifullah resulted in 12 fatalities.
The election, set to take place on Thursday, has seen security incidents and attacks on candidates leading up to the vote.
Over half a million security officers were deployed ahead of the election, with more than 90,000 polling stations ready to open.
The country, with a population of 240 million, is set to witness voting for nearly 18,000 candidates across national and provincial assemblies. Security measures are being emphasized to ensure safety during the election process.
