At least three people, including a woman, werekilled and 23 injured in a bomb blast near a mosque for Shia Muslims inPakistan's port city of Karachi Sunday night, officials said.
The blast hit the Mustafa Mosque, the largest mosque forShias in the city, Sharfuddin Memon, advisor to the home minister of Sindhprovince of which Karachi is the capital, told Xinhua.
The explosion occurred around 9.10 p.m. when a bomb fixed ona motorbike parked near the mosque went off as people were leaving the buildingafter Muharram prayers.
It was a home-made bomb denoted through a remote-controlleddevice, said Chaudhry Aslam, Superintendant of Police of the CriminalInvestigation Department.
Five members of the Rangers paramilitary force, who wereposted at the mosque for security, were among the injured, a Rangers spokesmansaid.
Hospital officials said many of the wounded were in criticalcondition and the toll may rise.
The blast, besides causing a blackout in the nearby areas,destroyed many vehicles.
Bomb disposal squad officials believe that an estimatedthree to four kg of explosives were used in the bomb.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Aslam, however, said the attack could be a reaction to therecent arrest of several terrorist suspects involved in sectarian attacks.
The attack sparked off protests from local Shia Muslims. AShia group, Tahafuz-e-Azadari Council Pakistan, has announced a three-daymourning for the victims.
President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the attack.