Blast at shrine in northeastern Pakistan kills six, injures 20

Blast at shrine in northeastern Pakistan kills six, injures 20

2010-10-26 07:03:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least six people were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured after an explosion blasted a mosque in the northeastern region of Pakistan, local media reported on Monday.

The blast happened shortly before dawn, at around 6.30 a.m. local time, at the eastern gate of the Baba Farid Shrine when two men on a motorcycle dropped off a milk container near the gate. Moments later the container exploded, creating a huge ball of fire.

The Baba Farid Shrine is located in Pakpattan, the capital city of the Pakpattan District in the Sahiwal Division of Punjab province.

According to reports, around 100 people were present in the area when the explosion happened. Several of them were praying at the time of the attack.

Officials said six people were killed as a result, while twenty others were injured. The wounded, including eight who were severely injured, were rushed to the District Headquarters hospital.

"According to initial reports, two unidentified men dressed in shalwar kameez came on the motorcycle and parked it near the gate just minutes before the blast," Mohammad Kashif, the local police chief, told Dawn News.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the blast, pledging that the perpetrators of the attack would not escape the law. They directed law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter and submit a report as soon as possible.

As rescue workers have finished their duties, investigations are currently being carried out to determine who was behind the attack. As of early Tuesday, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Taliban forces have conducted similar attacks in the past.

Monday's blast is the third major attack on a shrine in Pakistan over the past four months. On July 1, at least 40 people were killed and more than 170 others were injured during an attack at the Datta Darbar Shrine in Lahore. Another attack happened at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine in Karachi, killing 14 people and injuring more than 70 others.

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