Islamabad: Around eight persons were killed and over 30 others injured in a bomb blast near a prayer hall of Pakistan's minority Shia community in Dera Ghazi Khan town in Punjab province on Thursday.
The blast occurred shortly before 1900 hrs IST when a large number of people had joined a religious procession outside the imambargah or prayer hall.
Officials were quoted by TV channels as saying that the powerful explosion killed eight persons and injured about 35. Police said they believed the attack could be the result of sectarian tensions.
The imambargah is located in a thickly populated area in the centre of Dera Ghazi Khan. Witnesses said they saw bodies and many injured persons lying on the road after the blast.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. A prominent Shia body said it had informed local police that there was a possibility of a terrorist attack on the congregation. It complained the police had taken no security measures despite the warning.
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