Three killed after explosion hits Pakistan Shiite procession
- 19 Aug 2021
Gulf Today Report
A powerful explosion hit a Shitte procession in central Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least three and wounding over 50 people.
Speaking to the local news channel the Punjab Home Minister Raja Basharat said that a man hurled a grenade at a procession passing by Jamia Masjid in Muhajir Colony in Bahawalnagar at around 10:00am, adding that the attacker had been taken into custody.
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Videos circulating on social media showed police and ambulances rushing toward the site of the explosion. Several wounded people were seen waiting for help along a road in the deeply conservative city of Bahawalnagar in the eastern Punjab province, where the attack took place.
City police officer Mohammad Asad and Shiite leader Khawar Shafqat confirmed the bombing. Witnesses said tensions are now high in the city, with Shiites protesting the attack and demanding retribution.
Punjab Home Minister also said besides the two people killed in the explosion, two of the injured were in critical condition and undergoing treatment at Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital, where all wounded had been shifted.
The security personnel have been deployed in the area, while further investigation is underway, he added.