Pakistan: Shiite Muslims targeted in suicide bomb attack
Pakistani volunteers carry an injured blast victim into a hospital in Karachi on November 21, 2012. Militants hit Pakistani security forces on the eve of a major international summit, killing 10 people in regional flashpoints on Wednesday as delegates arrived in the capital Islamabad.
KARACHI, Pakistan— At least 19 people have died after a suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims in Southwest Pakistan on Sunday.
The attack, which took place in Balochistan's province's Mastung district also wounded at least 25 people. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, Al Jazeera English reported.
The bus had been en route to Iran, a popular pilgrimage destination for Shiite pilgrims, the Associated Press reported.
Sectarian violence in Pakistan has worsened over the last few years. Last month, 23 Shiites were killed by a bomb in the city of Rawalpindi, BBC News reported.
Shiites make up for about 15 percent of Pakistan's 180 million people. While they're scattered across the country, the province of Balochistan has the largest community, most made up of ethnic Hazaras, who are easily identified by their facial features which closely resemble those of Central Asians.