Saturday, May 9, 2026
ADVT 
Interesting

At Least 72 Dead As ISIS Bombing Rips Through Lal Shahbaz Shrine In Sehwan, Sindh

Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Feb, 2017 10:02 AM
  • At Least 72 Dead As ISIS Bombing Rips Through Lal Shahbaz Shrine In Sehwan, Sindh
A devastating explosion, claimed by the Islamic State, ripped through a Sufi shrine in Sehwan town of Pakistan's Sindh province on Thursday, killing at least 72 people, including 12 women and four children, and injuring over 250 others.
 
Assistant Superintendent of Police in Sehwan said a suicide bomber entered the Lal Shehbaz Qalandar shrine through its Golden Gate. The attacker blew himself up after throwing a grenade, which failed to explode, he said.
 
The explosion took place at the spot where the "Dhamaal" Sufi ritual was being performed within the premises of the shrine.
 
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.
 
There were conflicting reports about casualties in the blast. Taluka Hospital Medical Superintendent Moinuddin Siddiqui said 72 bodies and scores of injured were brought to the hospital.
 
A stampede followed the blast as a large number of devotee, including women and children, were present in the shrine.
 
Contingents of police reached the shrine that is situated slightly off the Super Highway in Dadu district of Sindh. Hundreds of people gather at the Sufi saint's shrine every Thursday for religious rituals.
 
An emergency has been declared in all hospitals of the area, with the injured being shifted to Liaquat Medical Complex Jamshoro and the sub-district hospital.
 
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decried the attack: "The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims," Sharif said. 
 
"But we can't let these events divide us, or scare us. We must stand united in this struggle for the Pakistani identity, and universal humanity."
 
Moments after the powerful bombing the Pakistan military issued a strongly worded statement to "hostile powers", saying it will respond to such attacks.
 
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said: "Recent terrorist acts are being executed on directions from hostile powers and from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. We shall defend and respond."
 
"Each drop of the nation's blood shall be revenged, and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone," the army chief was quoted as saying.
 
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said he had directed rescue teams to reach the spot of the attack.
 
The last attack on a Sufi shrine took place on November 12, 2016, when a suicide bomber struck the shrine of Shah Norani in Khuzdar district of Balochistan, killing at least 52 people and leaving 102 injured.
 
The explosion had taken place where the Dhamaal was being performed. At least 500 people were gathered at the spot to observe the ritual.
 
The blast was the latest in a series of attacks to hit the country this week.
 
A suicide bomber targeted a government office in the Mohmand tribal area on Wednesday, while a separate attack on the same day targeted government employees in Peshawar. Six people were killed in total.
 
On Tuesday, two police officers were killed while trying to defuse a bomb in Quetta.
 
Sixteen people were also killed in a suicide bombing at a protest rally in the Lahore on Monday. 

MORE Interesting ARTICLES

Pakistan Issues Visas To Over 3,000 Sikh Pilgrims

Pakistan High Commission has issued visas to as many as 3,316 Sikh pilgrims to attend birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev from 12-21 November there.

Pakistan Issues Visas To Over 3,000 Sikh Pilgrims

Some Indo-Canadian Residents Left With Worthless Cash After Indian Rupee Cancellation

Some Indo-Canadian Residents Left With Worthless Cash After Indian Rupee Cancellation
On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in a surprise broadcast that his government was withdrawing all 500 and 1,000 Indian rupee notes — which are equivalent to about $10 and $20.

Some Indo-Canadian Residents Left With Worthless Cash After Indian Rupee Cancellation

Tests Reveal Winnipeg Infant Ingested Carfentanil, Parents Charged

Tests Reveal Winnipeg Infant Ingested Carfentanil, Parents Charged
Powder found at the scene was believed to be fentanyl, but tests show it was the much more powerful drug — a synthetic opioid that can be fatal in very small doses.

Tests Reveal Winnipeg Infant Ingested Carfentanil, Parents Charged

Canada Willing To Discuss NAFTA With A Trump Administration: Justin Trudeau

Canada Willing To Discuss NAFTA With A Trump Administration: Justin Trudeau
SYDNEY, N.S. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is willing to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement with a Trump administration.

Canada Willing To Discuss NAFTA With A Trump Administration: Justin Trudeau

N.B. Military Member Accused Of Accessing Child Pornography While On Duty

N.B. Military Member Accused Of Accessing Child Pornography While On Duty
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service says Sgt. Brent Douglas Hansen was charged Wednesday under the National Defence Act.

N.B. Military Member Accused Of Accessing Child Pornography While On Duty

Anonymous Donor Gives Hundreds Of Indigenous Works To B.C. Museum

Anonymous Donor Gives Hundreds Of Indigenous Works To B.C. Museum
At more than 200 pieces, the museum says it's believed to be the largest collection of northwest coast First Nations art to return to B.C. in decades.

Anonymous Donor Gives Hundreds Of Indigenous Works To B.C. Museum