At least 100 people were killed and more than 250 injured in a bomb blast near Pakistan's Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sindh province on Thursday late evening. The attack was reportedly carried out by an ISIS suicide bomber who blew himself up near the gate of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar's shrine.
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The police said that the explosion occurred during a Sufi ritual called Dhamaal, where hundreds of devotees had gathered for prayers inside the premises of the mausoleum of the saint. The hospital staff confirmed that the blast had caused at least 100 casualties.
Pakistan army chief Javed Bajwa reacted strongly to the terror attack saying that the Pak forces would avenge the death of the innocent lives. He also added that no restraint will be shown for anyone suspected of being behind the attack.
The attack was also condemned by international bodies including the United Nations, European Union and the United States.
Soon after the deadly attack, the Pakistan military announced that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been indefinitely sealed. The spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces, Major General Asif Ghafoor also made the announcement through his Twitter account stating, "Pakistan-Afghanistan Border closed with immediate effects till further orders due to security reasons."
Pakistan-Afghanistan Border closed with immediate effects till further orders due to security reasons.
— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 16, 2017
The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed the attack through its Aamaq news agency, saying that a suicide bomber had targeted a "Shiite gathering" at the shrine in Sindh. The terrorist organisation also released a picture purportedly of the suicide bomber.
The targeted shrine is frequently visited by a large number of devotees from across the country on Thursdays.
