Deadly Blast Hits Shi'ite Holiday Procession In Pakistan

Pakistani police say at least 18 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide bomb attack at a Shi'ite Muslim procession in the southern city of Jacobabad on October 23.

Police and hospital officials said many of the wounded were in critical conditions and the death toll could rise.

Regional police chief Sain Rakhio Mirani said eight children, ages 8 to 15, were among the dead.

Police cordoned off the area as security and rescue teams rushed to the site following the explosion.

Mirani said counter terrorism team had been dispatched to investigate further.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but suspicion fell on Sunni extremists blamed for similar attacks in the past.

The attack came as minority Shi'ite Muslims marked Ashura, a 10-day ritual when they commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dawn.com