Powerful bomb blast at a Shia mosque in Pakistan kills 20

Posted on Jan 30 2015 - 4:25pm by IBC News

At least 20 people have been killed in a powerful bomb blast at a Shia mosque in southern Pakistan, officials say.

Police have said that at least 50 people were wounded in the attack after Friday prayers in the Lakhi Dar area of the Shikarpur district.

The death toll is expected to rise as many of the wounded are in a critical condition.

Local media reports suggest that the blast could have been a suicide attack, but police are investigating.

It is not yet clear who carried out the attack but Sunni militant groups have targeted the Shia minority in the past.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the incident and ordered an immediate inquiry.