At least 25 people were killed and more than 40 injured in two bomb blasts targeting the minority Shia community in Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital, on Friday.
The first blast took place when an explosives-packed motorcycle hit a bus carrying people to a Shia religious procession for the chehlum or the 40th day observances of the seventh century martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammed’s grandson.
Public holiday
The bombing, which took place on the arterial Shahrah-e-Faisal road, killed at least 12 people.
As it was a public holiday, the road was not as busy as it is usually, and this kept the casualties low.
The second bomb went off in the parking lot of the Jinnah Hopsital, where some of the injured from the first were taken. This bomb killed at least 13 people.
The bombings came at a time when Karachi is already struggling to cope with incidents of political violence that have killed over 80 people in the last month.
The sudden spate of violence in the port city began with the December 28 Muharram day bombing that killed 32 people.
The city has been on razor’s edge since then, and the political violence has added to the insecurity.
The fresh bombings are likely to increase the tensions, and put further pressure on the Pakistan People’s Party-led Sindh provincial government.
