Islamabad: At least 22 Shia pilgrims returning from Iran were killed on Tuesday when their bus was targeted with a bomb in the restive Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan.
The blast occurred on the Pakistan-Iran highway in Dareen Garh area of Mastung district. It was followed by firing, officials said.
They confirmed the death of 22 pilgrims.
At least 20 others were injured, they said.
Security forces cordoned off the area and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital.
The nature of the blast was yet to be ascertained, Frontier Corps spokesman Khan Wasseh said.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier in the day, a noted Shia playwright was shot and injured by unidentified gunmen in the eastern city of Lahore.
Buses carrying Shia pilgrims have been repeatedly targeted in desolate areas of Balochistan in recent years. Scores have died in these attacks, many of them blamed on the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
