More than 50 people were killed on Friday in attacks on a parade to celebrate Muhammad in the Mastung District of the province and in a mosque in the northern region, Reuters reported. 

The largest attack took place during the parade when a suicide bomber detonated his vest to target a top police officer serving there.

The police officer, Nawaz Gishkori, was killed trying to stop the bomber, along with more than 50 others at the horrific scene. Onlookers described severed limbs and bodies piled up in the area of the bombing.

Dozens more were injured, overwhelming local hospitals in the hours after the bombing happened.

Death tool could rise

Local officials warned that the death toll could rise in the coming days because some of the injured were serious or critical. They declared a state of emergency in the province.

“The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the blast,” his office reported in a statement. “Prime Minister’s prayers for forgiveness for the deceased and patience for the families.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province by land size, and its most volatile. Besides different religious groups sharing the same area, there is unrest because some in the province think the government is taking advantage of its resources.

Earlier in the month, a roadside bomb explosion in Mastung injured 11 people, including a senior religious party leader, for which IS-K claimed responsibility.

Mosque bombing kills five more

The other major attack took place at a mosque in Hangu, where two bombers detonated their vests. One was at the gate, and one was inside, which made the roof collapse on 30-40 people inside.

Five people were killed in the blasts, but the final death toll may be higher if some perished in the the rubble of the roof collapse.

The U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan condemned the attacks.

“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We will continue to stand with Pakistan in the face of these vicious attacks,” Donald Blome, the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad, said on X, formerly Twitter.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, sent a statement to the media saying that it was not behind the bombings in Mastung and Hangu.