Source: BBC
At least 45 people have been killed by a bomb explosion in the Pakistani city of Karachi, police say.
The blast in the mainly Shia Muslim area of Abbas Town destroyed several buildings and set others on fire. Some reports spoke of a second explosion.
No group has yet said it planted the bomb, which went off near a mosque as worshippers left evening prayers.
Pakistan’s Shia minority are the target of frequent sectarian attacks from Sunni militant groups.
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Shia Muslims make up about 20% of Pakistan’s population of 180 million, and while sectarian violence targeting them is by no means a new phenomenon it is on the rise.
Human Rights Watch says that last year more than 400 Shias were killed in such attacks across the country.
Human Rights Watch says that last year more than 400 Shias were killed in such attacks across the country.
Just in the first two months of this year, nearly 200 Shias – members of the Hazara community – have been killed in the south-western city of Quetta.