A suicide attack and another explosion rocked two mosques in Pakistan today, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 60 while celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, health officials and the government said. police.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the explosions, one of which left dozens of people trapped in debris, according to media reports.

The attacks come amid an escalation in attacks by armed groups, increasing pressure on security forces ahead of national elections scheduled for January.

The first explosion, in the southwestern province of Balochistan, killed 52 people, according to Abdul Rashid, a regional health official.

“The bomber detonated the explosives he carried near a police vehicle, not far from the Madina Mosque, where people were gatheringadded Munir Ahmed, a senior police officer.

The second blast, in the neighboring northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five people. It caused the roof of the mosque to collapse, according to the Geo News network, trapping 30 to 40 people in the rubble.

Both provinces border Afghanistan and have been the target of attacks in recent years by Islamist militants who want to overthrow the Pakistani government and implement their own strict version of Islamic law. The blast in Balochistan is an unusual attack on civilians, as Islamist militants have generally targeted security forces in recent years.

Images broadcast on television showed hundreds of people helping the injured into ambulances. Dozens of people were injured, with Abdul Rasheed saying the death toll could rise as many of the injured were in serious condition.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which brings together various hardline Sunni Islamist groups and has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan since it was formed in 2007, has denied responsibility for today’s blasts.