Pakistani
para-military soldiers stand alert after a deadly suicide attack at the
shrine of famous Sufi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, Pakistan,
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted
worshippers at a famous shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing
dozens of worshippers and left hundreds of people wounded, officials
said. (AP Photo/Pervez Masih)
KARACHI,
Pakistan (AP) — An Islamic State suicide bomber struck inside a famed
shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 75 people in
the deadliest attack in the country in more than two years.
The
bomber entered the main hall of the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in
Sehwan and detonated his payload amid dozens of worshippers, according
to three security officials, who said at least 20 women and nine
children were among the dead.
The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to brief reporters. Fazal Palejo, a senior health official in
Sindh province, confirmed the toll.
The
Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement circulated by its
Aamaq news agency, saying it had targeted a "Shiite gathering." The
Sunni extremist group views Shiites as apostates and has targeted
Pakistan's Shiite minority in the past. It views Sufi shrines like the
one targeted Thursday as a form of idolatry.
Raja
Somro, who witnessed the attack, told a local TV network that hundreds
of people were performing a spiritual dance known as the Dhamal when the
bomber struck.
"I saw bodies everywhere. I saw bodies of women and children," he said.
Local
TV showed graphic footage of the aftermath of the blast, with wounded
worshippers crying out for help and the floors covered with shoes, blood
and body parts. Women cried and beat their chests in grief.
Ghazanfar Shah, the custodian of the site, said security was lax at the shrine, which is entered through two gold-plated doors.
Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that security forces would track down the
perpetrators of the attack, according to Pakistani state TV.
"Each
drop of the nation's blood shall be avenged, and avenged immediately,"
Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, said in a statement. "No
more restraint for anyone."
The U.S. State Department condemned the attack and offered its support to Pakistan in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
"We
stand with the people of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism and
remain committed to the security of the South Asia region," said a
statement by acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner.
Thursday's
attack was the deadliest in Pakistan since Dec. 16, 2014, when
militants assaulted an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 154 people,
mostly schoolchildren.
Pakistan
has been at war with the Taliban and other extremist groups for more
than a decade. In recent years it has launched major offensives against
militant strongholds in the tribal regions along the border with
Afghanistan, but insurgents have continued to carry out attacks
elsewhere in the country.
The
Islamic State group has been expanding its presence in Pakistan in
recent years and has claimed a number of deadly attacks, including a
suicide bombing at another shrine in November 2016 that killed more than
50 people.
The
government has downplayed the IS affiliate, insisting that only a small
number of militants have pledged allegiance to the group.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of failing to crack down on militants who operate along the porous border.
The
army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, said acts of terrorism were
being carried out "from hostile powers and from sanctuaries in
Afghanistan," without elaborating. Pakistan closed the main Torkham
border crossing with Afghanistan shortly after the attack.
___
Ahmed
reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in
Peshawar, Pakistan and Muhammad Farooq in Jam Shoro, Pakistan
contributed to this report
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