Latest reports say at least 40 people have been killed and dozens injured in a bomb attack on a Shia mosque and religious center in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh.
\nLocal security officials said the attack occurred when people were performing Friday Prayers in the town of Shikarpur, around 470 kilometers (300 miles) north of the port city of Karachi.
\nSindh Health Minister Jam Mehtab Daher told AFP that “a total of 40 have been killed in the attack, 46 others have been wounded”.
\nA number of victims are still trapped under debris, after the roof of the mosque collapsed due to the intensive blast.
\nNo group has yet claimed responsibility, but pro-Taliban militants usually take responsibility for similar attacks in the violence-wracked country.
\nThis is also the latest deadly incident in a wave of violence against the Shia Muslim community in Pakistan.
\nPro-Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants, who are reportedly behind the killings, have imposed an economic blockade against the Shia-dominated population areas across the volatile northwest.
\nThe frequent incidents have raised concerns among human rights groups, while moderate Pakistani Sunni groups have described the issue as a conspiracy against the country.
\nTaliban leaders, who were toppled in the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, took refuge in tribal regions of Pakistan and rapidly began to extend their influence from tribes to major towns and cities.
\nShia Muslims in Pakistan say the government must take decisive action against the forces involved in the targeted killings. They also accuse Islamabad of failing to provide security for the Muslim community.
\nThe killing of Shias has caused international outrage, with rights groups and regional countries expressing concern over the ongoing deadly violence. Shias make up about a third of Pakistan\u2019s population of over 180 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Latest reports say at least 40 people have been killed and dozens injured in a bomb attack on a Shia mosque and religious center in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. Local security officials said the attack occurred when people were performing Friday Prayers in the town of Shikarpur, around 470 kilometers (300 miles) north of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"yoast_head":"\n