A suicide bomber blew himself up at the 13th century shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan in Sindh province of Pakistan on Thursday, killing over 80 people and injuring hundreds. The shrine was full of devotees, with Thursday being a special day of prayer and dhamaal, a devotional dance. People of all faiths flock to the revered Shahbaz Qalandar shrine, which has inspired many Sufi songs, including the popular ‘Dama DamMast Kalandar’.
The Islamic State, which had announced its presence in Pakistan two years ago, claimed responsibility. In recent months, there has been a resurgence of attacks on minority sects in the country. In November last year, the Islamic State attacked the Hazrat Shah Noorani Shrine in Balochistan, killing 45 people. Over the past week, there were at least 10 incidents of militant attacks all over Pakistan, culminating in the Sehwan massacre.
