Islamabad: Two near-simultaneous terror
strikes today targeted Shia religious gatherings in the
southern port city of Karachi and the capital of
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing at least 10 people and
injuring nearly 100.
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives when police
guards prevented him from entering the Pir Alam Shah Bukhari
'imambargah' or Shia prayer hall in PoK capital Muzaffarabad.
Provincial Minister Ghulam Murtaza Gillani said 10 people
were killed in the attack and eighty people, including some
policemen, were injured.
The 'imambargah' is located in a high-security area near
a military hospital, where the injured were taken.
Witnesses said they had seen the body parts of the bomber
at the site. Scores of people were present in the imambargah,
one of the largest Shia prayer halls in Muzaffarabad, for a
gathering organised to mark the Islamic month of Muharram.
The army cordoned off the area soon after the attack.
In Karachi, 20 people were injured when a bomb went off
near a Shia procession in Qasba Colony area. Police described
the blast as a low intensity explosion.
Ambulances rushed the injured to nearby hospitals. Police
and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers cordoned off the area.
The explosion was followed by firing in the area, TV news
channels reported. However, it was not clear who had opened
fire.
People also protested against police for failing to
protect the procession and burnt some cars.
Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed said the nature of
the blast was yet to be determined.
Both attacks occurred almost simultaneously shortly
before 7 pm.
Karachi has not been affected by a recent wave of
bombings and suicide attacks that has killed over 500 people
across Pakistan.
However, the port city has often witnessed sectarian
violence during Muharram, which is a period of mourning for
the minority Shia community.
Nineteen people were injured when a car bomb went off
near a Shia procession in Karachi last night.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, December 27, 2009, 22:27