More than 100 killed in Pakistan’s deadliest terror strike this year

Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, who was campaigning for an assembly seat in the southern province of Balochistan, was killed in the bomb blast along with dozens of others, Balochistan Home Secretary Haider Ali Shikoh told CNN.

Bangulzai told CNN that more than 200 people were also injured in the blast, which occurred in the Mastung area, close to the provincial capital Quetta. It is the deadliest terror strike in Pakistan this year.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in an email. CNN cannot immediately authenticate the assertion.

The director of civil defense, Muhammad Aslam Tareen, told CNN that eight to 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

Another strike in Pakistan on Friday targeted former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Khan Durrani’s convoy in Bannu while it traveled from one political rally to the next.

Four people were killed and 32 others were injured in the bombing, which took place in North Waziristan, close to the border with Afghanistan. Candidate Duranni survived.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack in North Waziristan.

The violence comes the same day as former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan to face 10 years’ imprisonment on corruption-related charges.

His conviction last week dealt a blow to his party’s prospects in the election and shifted the political landscape just three weeks before the vote.

Earlier Friday, authorities in Lahore, Punjab Province, were preparing for mass protests in support of the Sharifs, who party members say have been unfairly targeted.

With each attack, fears of violence ahead of the election are rising. On Tuesday, at least 20 people died and 63 were injured in a suicide attack in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan, for which the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

Syed Ali Shah reported from Quetta, Sophia Saifi reported from Islamabad and Judith Vonberg wrote in London. Saleem Mehsud and CNN’s Joe Sterling contributed to this report.