Karachi, Aug 16: A powerful bomb ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's Balochistan province, killing at least five persons and injuring 15 others, police said.

The blast occurred at a mosque in Quetta's Kuchlak area on Friday, The Express Tribune reported.

Officials believe the blast was carried out with an improvised explosive device (IED) that contained around eight to 10 kilograms of explosives which was planted inside the mosque, the report said.

"Five persons were killed and 15 others injured in the attack," a police official said.

A rescue operation is under way and security forces have also cordoned off the area.

Police said the injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, while emergency has been declared at Civil Hospital Quetta. 

Police have cordoned off the area and a bomb disposal squad has been requested.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants and Baloch nationalist often carry out such attacks.

The blast in Kuchlak is the fourth in Balochistan in less than a month's time.

A week before, on July 30, five persons, including two policemen, died when a powerful bomb tore through a police patrol van at a busy roundabout in Quetta.

At least 32 people including Additional SHO Shafaat Ali were also wounded in the attack targeting the police vehicle parked outside the City Police Station at Bacha Khan Chowk.

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Bengaluru, May 16: A court here on Thursday granted interim bail to JD(S) MLA and former Karnataka Minister H D Revanna in a sexual harassment case.

The case of sexual harassment of a 47-year-old house help was registered against Revanna and his son and MP Prajwal Revanna at the Holenarsipur town police station in Hassan district on April 28.

Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27 and is still at large.

The complainant had claimed that the father-son duo had sexually abused her at the 66-year-old MLA's house.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the alleged sexual abuse charges against Prajwal and related cases, had sought custody of the former minister.

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Revanna’s advocates sought anticipatory bail in the case. However, the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (ACMM) heard the matter and gave interim relief to Revanna till Friday.

The SIT had sent two notices to Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, and Prajwal to join the investigation, but both of them skipped it.

On Thursday Revanna applied for anticipatory bail and the SIT objected to this and sought his custody or that he be remanded in judicial custody. The court, after hearing both sides, decided to hear the matter again on Friday and till then gave relief to Revanna.

A Special Court for Elected Representatives on Monday granted bail to Revanna in case where he is accused of having kidnapped one of the women allegedly abused sexually by Prajwal, as seen in the leaked videos.

Revanna was then released from jail.

He had been arrested by the SIT on May 4 in that case.

The 33-year-old Prajwal is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm, with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaging in a slugfest.

He was BJP-JD(S) alliance's joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase on April 26.

An Interpol Blue Corner Notice issued against Prajwal in an effort to bring him back to the country to face the law has not yet had the desired effect.

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