DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — A bombing claimed by the Taliban killed at least six people and wounded about 90 others in a religious procession in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, the police said, as Shiite Muslims observed the annual Ashura holiday.
Since Wednesday, at least 31 people have been killed in bombings aimed at Pakistani Shiites and claimed by the Taliban, who espouse an extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam. More than 100 people were wounded in the attacks just before the holiday, which commemorates the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson in the seventh century. The schism between Sunnis and Shiites dates back to that time.
Sunday’s explosion went off as hundreds of Shiites were passing through the main intersection of the city of Dera Ismail Khan, the police said, where food and water stalls were set up to serve the crowd. An initial investigation suggested that a bomb was planted near a shop along the procession route. “The bomb contained about eight kilograms of explosives and steel balls, and was detonated with a remote-control device,” said the city’s police chief, Sohail Khalid.
Several of the wounded were in serious condition, said Dr. Faridullah Mahsud, an official at the city’s hospital, who added that three members of a paramilitary unit providing security for the procession were among the wounded.
Dr. Khalid Aziz, the top official at the hospital, put the death toll at six.
Taliban Claim Responsibility for Fatal Bombing in Pakistan
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Taliban Claim Responsibility for Fatal Bombing in Pakistan
