BackPakistan: Death toll in suicide bombing at Sufi shrine in Sindh rises to 80
The blast took place during Dhamala Sufi ritualwhen hundreds of devotees were present inside the premises of the vast mausoleum of the saint, police say
Premium
Islamabad/ Kabul: Pakistani forces killed and arrested dozens of suspects in sweeping raids overnight and into Friday as the death toll from a massive suicide bombing by the Islamic State group at a famed Sufi shrine in the country’s south the previous day rose to 80.
The terror attack — Pakistan’s deadliest in years — stunned the nation and raised questions about the authorities’ ability to rein in militant groups despite several military offensives targeting militant hideouts.
It also threatened to drive a deeper wedge between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad quickly lashed out at Kabul, saying the bombing was masterminded from across the border, in militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Underscoring tensions, Pakistan fired a blistering round of artillery shells into Afghan territory and shut down the Torkham border crossing, a key commercial artery between the two neighbours.
Afghan police chief Gul Agha Roohani in eastern Nangarhar province told The Associated Press the artillery assault began on Friday morning, although there was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the shrine. “Sufis always preach peace and brotherhood among people," he said and added that “terrorists once again proved that they have no respect for Islamic values."
Also Read| Pakistan’s worst attack in 2-years dents improved security image
Meanwhile, the raids throughout Pakistan targeted militant hideouts and led to shoot outs with insurgents that left at least 39 suspects dead, according to three Pakistani security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations.
Most of the operations were carried out by the paramilitary Rangers. In one raid, the troops killed 11 suspects at a militant hideout in the port city of Karachi. In another, the Rangers came under fire as they were returning from Sehwan, the town in southern Sindh province where the shrine bombing took place, and killed seven of the attackers.
Other raids took place in northwestern Pakistan and also in the eastern province of Punjab. The officials said a total of 47 suspects were arrested in the raids.
In Thursday’s attack, the suicide bomber walked into the main hall at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan, and detonated his explosives among a crowd of worshippers, initially killing 75. At least 20 women and nine children were among the dead and scores were also wounded in the explosion.
On Friday, authorities raised the death toll to 80 after some of the critically wounded died. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated by its Aamaq news agency, saying it had targeted a “Shiite gathering."
The Sunni extremist group views Shiites as apostates and has targeted Pakistan’s Shiite minority in the past. It views Sufi shrines as a form of idolatry.
The Sehwan shrine, which reveres a Muslim Sufi mystic, is frequented by the faithful of many sects of Islam but the majority of the worshippers are usually Shiite Muslims.
Raja Somro, who witnessed the attack, told a local TV network that hundreds of people were performing a spiritual dance known as the “dhamal" when the bomber struck.
“I saw bodies everywhere. I saw bodies of women and children," he said.
Also Read| Pakistan kills over 24 militants after Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Sufi shrine blast
Local TV showed graphic footage of the aftermath of the blast, with wounded worshippers crying out for help and the floors covered with shoes, blood and body parts. Women cried and beat their chests in grief.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that security forces would track down the perpetrators of the attack, according to Pakistani state TV.
“Each drop of the nation’s blood shall be avenged, and avenged immediately," Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, said in a statement. “No more restraint for anyone."
The US state department condemned the attack and offered its support to Pakistan in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The attack was the deadliest in Pakistan following the 16 December 2014 assault on an army-run school in Peshawar that killed 154 people, mostly schoolchildren.
Pakistan has been at war with the Taliban and other extremist groups for more than a decade. In recent years it has launched major offensives against militant strongholds in the tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan, but insurgents have continued to carry out attacks elsewhere in the country.
The Islamic State group has been expanding its presence in Pakistan in recent years and has claimed a number of deadly attacks, including a suicide bombing at another Sufi shrine in November 2016 that killed more than 50 people. A Taliban-linked group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for that attack.
The government has downplayed the IS affiliate, insisting that only a small number of militants have pledged allegiance to the group.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of failing to crack down on militants who operate along the porous border.
Also Friday, the Pakistani military handed over to Kabul a list of 76 suspected “terrorists" allegedly hiding in Afghanistan, demanding they be captured and extradited to Islamabad. A statement from the military says the list was given to Afghan officials at the Pakistani army’s sprawling headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The military did not specify who was on the list, but it has long claimed that the head of Pakistani Taliban, Mullah Fazlullah, and other militants are hiding on Afghan soil with the purpose of fomenting violence inside Pakistan.
Meanwhile, mourners gathered at the Sehwan shrine for a small rally to demand justice for the victims as some of the funerals got underway.
Relatives consoled the wailing mother of Zeeshan Ali, a 13-year-old who died in the blast and who was buried on Friday. Ali’s uncle, Shoukat Ali, said he was devoted to his nephew and raised him since he had no children of his own.
“I raised him like my own child ... and they took him from me," he said. Associated Press
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
