A suicide bomb explosion in Pakistan killed 45 and injured 149 in Karachi, senior city official Hashim Raza told Reuters. The attack happened on Sunday in a Shia neighborhood of Pakistan’s port city of Karachi.
The bomb exploded outside a Shia mosque as people were leaving evening prayers, said police official Azhar Iqbal. Men, women and children were among those killed and wounded, he said.
No one has claimed responsibility, but militants linked to Al Qaeda and the Taliban have targeted Shias in the past.
Initial reports suggest the bomb was rigged to a motorcycle, although a survey of the damage indicates there could have been additional explosives planted at the scene, the police official said.
According to the police, most of the victims were Hazara Shias.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered authorities “to take long-term measures” to protect the country’s Shia Muslims.
In recent months, Pakistani people have been protesting in the streets against a rise on Shia killings.
Shias make up about 20 percent of Pakistan’s population of over 180 million.