Gunmen Attack Mosque in Eastern Pakistan, Killing Two
Two gunmen entered a mosque in Daska, eastern Pakistan, on Wednesday, opening fire on worshippers. The assailants took the lives of Shahid Latif, a member of an outlawed anti-India militant group, and another unidentified man before making their escape, authorities report.
Local police have disclosed that the gunmen initially posed as worshipers before revealing their firearms inside the mosque. Their gunfire targeted Shahid Latif, a close associate of Masood Azhar, the founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant organization. Another worshiper, whose identity remains undisclosed, also lost his life in the attack.
While no one has claimed responsibility for the assault, local police chief Hassan Iqbal suggests it was a deliberate targeting of Shahid Latif. However, further details regarding the incident were not provided.
In the past, New Delhi has held Jaish-e-Mohammad responsible for various attacks in India, including the 2016 assault that claimed the lives of seven soldiers at a base in Pathankot, northern India.
Officials from New Delhi have yet to comment on the recent attack, but media reports in India suggest Shahid Latif was sought in connection with the Pathankot attack.
In 2016, Pakistani authorities initiated a case against “unknown suspects” after Indian investigators claimed that phone intercepts indicated the Pathankot attackers had come from Pakistan.
Pakistan and India have a history of strained relations, with three wars between them since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Two of these conflicts were over Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region claimed by both nations in its entirety.