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Suicide Bomber Targets Shi'ite Mosque In Pakistan


File photo of an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Pakistan.
File photo of an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Pakistan.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside a Shi'ite mosque in Pakistan, injuring four police officers, in the latest sectarian violence in the volatile country.

The attack took place on September 13 in Shikarpur in Sindh Province, where 60 were killed in a suicide attack on another Shi'ite mosque in 2015.

Police officer Bahardin Kerio said the attack happened during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

He said a second attacker, a would-be suicide bomber, was shot and wounded at the scene.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but similar attacks in the past have been claimed by extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The extremist Sunni group considers Shi'ites as heretics and has frequently targeted them in recent years.

Pakistan is a predominately Sunni Muslim country, with Shi'ites making up around 20 percent of the population.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

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