Officials in Pakistan say the death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing at a political rally in the northwestern part of the country has risen to 46. One more person died in hospital overnight. 

Authorities VOA has spoken to are denying the figure of 54 deaths reported by some media. 

The blast happened during a workers’ convention of a religious political party, Jamiat Ulema Islam , in the town of Khar in the tribal area of Bajaur near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. 

Mourners began holding funerals Monday for the victims. 

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in a message Monday. 

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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