The suicide bombing attack targeted Sindh province’s Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine, killing at least 100 people and injuring more than 250 others. The holy site, located in the town of Sehwan, is Pakistan’s most revered Sufi shrine and is dedicated to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a 13th-century saint.
The attack specifically targeted a spot inside the shrine where the ‘Dhamaal’ Sufi ritual was being performed. A local police officer said there were between 500 and 800 people inside the shrine at the time of the attack. Thursday evening is considered to be the holiest time to pray in the shrine.
ISIS, via its news agency AMAQ, claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist organisation said a suicide bomber “exploded his vest in…Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Pakistan’s south Sindh province.”
Following the attack, an emergency was declared in nearby hospitals. The Pakistani military’s C 130 aircraft were pressed into service for air evacuations with the armed forces’ spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor saying those injured would be treated at Pakistan Air Force hospitals as well.
Referring to the recent attacks that have struck the country, including the one in Lahore where at least 16 people died, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said,
“The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims. 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.”
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