Over 70 martyred in suicide attack at shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar

DADU: More than 70 people including women and children were martyred and over 250 sustained critical injuries in a suicide attack at the shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharife on Thursday, medics and police said.

Thousands of devotees from across the country arrive at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar every Thursday.

Police have confirmed it was a suicide blast.



Police officials in Sehwan said the blast took place inside the shrine with the Assistant Superintendent of Police Rashid stating it was a suicide bombing.

The News reporter Imdad Soomro said the condition of more than 50 pilgrims is critical, the number of death toll could rise as there is only one small hospital in the area.

However, emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Hyderabad, Dadu and Jamshoro.

Police and security forces have cordoned off the area.

DG ISPR in his tweet said Army and Rangers personnel have been moved with medical support.

Hyderabad CMH is ready to receive casualties, the Major Gen. Asif Ghafoor said.

#COAS directed imed assistance to Sehwan blast victims. Army /Rangers moved incl medical support. Hyderabad CMH ready to receive casualties. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 16, 2017





A spokesman for medical charity Edhi said the attacker appeared to have targeted the women´s wing of the shrine, and around 30 children accompanying their mothers were dead.

Islamic State (Daesh) , the Middle East-based militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group´s affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise. "At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured,"

Sethar said by telephone.

Television footage from the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif showed army and paramilitary medical teams reaching the site and injured people being taken to nearby hospitals in ambulances and a military helicopter.

"We were there for the love of our saint, for the worship of Allah," a wailing woman told a television channel outside the shrine, her headscarf streaked in blood.

"Who would hurt us when we were there for devotion?"

The attack comes as the Pakistani Taliban and rival Islamist militant groups carry out their threats of a new offensive. The violence has shattered a period of improving security, underscoring how militants still undermine stability in the country.

The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years. In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta.

In November, an explosion claimed by Islamic State ripped through a Muslim shrine in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 52 people and wounding scores.

SINDH SUFIS

At a crossroads of historic trade routes, religions and cultures, the southern province of Sindh where the shrine is located has always been a poor but religiously tolerant region, helping to shield it from much of the violence more common in other parts of Pakistan.

The country´s powerful military, which has cracked down on insurgent groups in recent years leading to a sharp drop in militant violence, vowed a swift, decisive response.

"Each drop of nation´s blood shall be revenged, and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone," Army Chief Qamar Bajwa said in a statement.

Shortly after the blast, the army announced it was closing the border with Afghanistan with immediate effect for security reasons.

Insurgents operate on either side of the neighbours´ long and porous frontier. Different militant groups, often trying to outdo each other, say they are responsible for the bombings.

In the case of the Quetta hospital blast, both a faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ur-Ahrar - and Islamic State claimed responsibility. Jamaat also said it was responsible for a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week that killed 13 people.

In a separate incident late on Thursday, gunmen on a motorbike killed three policemen and one civilian in the city of Dera Ismail Khan.

"STAND UNITED

"The bomber entered the shrine as crowds massed on Thursday, a statement from the Sindh police spokesman said. Rescue officials said dozens of wounded people were being ferried in private cars to hospitals.

The nearest major hospital was nearly an hour´s drive away in Dadu district. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quickly condemned the bombing, decrying the assault on the Sufi religious minority. He vowed to fight militants, who target the government, judiciary and anyone who does not adhere to their strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

"The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims," Sharif said. "But we can´t let these events divide us, or scare us. We must stand united in this struggle for the Pakistani identity, and universal humanity.

"An ancient mystic branch of Islam, Sufism has been practised in Pakistan for centuries. Lal Shahbaz Qalander is Pakistan´s most revered Sufi shrine, dedicated to a 13th-century saint in Sehwan Sharif.

Thursdays are an especially important day for local Sufis, meaning that the shrine was packed at the time of the blast. </s> 250 injured as suicide bomber hits devotees performing Dhamal inside shrine premises; a large number of women, children among the casualties; Daesh claims responsibility; political leadership condemns attack

SEHWAN/KARACHI: At least 76 people were killed on Thursday when a suicide bomber attacked the crowded Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif, injuring up to 250 others, hospital and senior police officials said.

The powerful blast took place inside the premises of the shrine as a dhamaal was taking place, with a large number of women and children said to be among the casualties.

“At least 76 were martyred,” said senior police officer Shabbir Sethar, adding that the death toll was likely to rise. Faisal Edhi, the head of Edhi Foundation, confirmed the death toll. “Forty-three men, nine women and 20 children are among the dead,” he said. Medical superintendent of Sehwan Hospital also confirmed the death toll.

Emergency was declared in the hospitals of Hyderabad, Dadu and Jamshoro. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area after the incident.Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Sindh Police AD Khowaja earlier said 70 people were martyred. Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Hyderabad, Khadim Hussain Rind, said as many as 250 people were injured in the explosion, the latest in a series of terrorist attacks in the country.

Officials confirmed the suicide bombing took place inside the complex of the shrine, with eyewitnesses saying the explosion caused people to panic and triggered a stampede inside the crowded shrine.A large number of people from different parts of the province had gathered at the shrine when the blast took place.

Devotees throng the shrine of the revered Sufi saint every Thursday to participate in a dhamaal and prayers. According to reports, the explosion occurred after devotees had gathered inside the premises of the shrine. A high number of casualties were feared because of the crowd gathered at the shrine.

This is not the first time a Sufi shrine has been hit by terrorists. In November last year, a suicide blast at the Shah Noorani shrine killed 52 people and injured more than 100Daesh, the Middle East-based militant group which has a small but increasingly prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years. In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is Pakistan’s most revered Sufi shrine, dedicated to a 13th-century saint whose spirit is invoked by devotees in ecstatic daily dancing and singing rituals in Sehwan Sharif.

Thursdays are an especially important day for the local Sufis, meaning that the shrine was packed at the time of the blast.The political leadership condemned the suicide blast in Sehwan Sharif and loss of innocent lives in the attack.

PPP President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and said the patrons, facilitators and planners of the attack will be apprehended at all costs. He directed the Sindh government to hold an inquiry into the incident and why the security situation was not addressed. He instructed the elected representatives, party office-bearers and workers of PPP to reach hospitals and donate blood for the injured.

Zardari said the Bhutto family and the PPP are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. He prayed for the martyrs and early recovery of the injured.The Ameer of JI expressed sympathies with the bereaved families who lost their relatives in the tragic occurrence. Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana condemned the attack and said the terrorists’ prime agenda was to weaken Pakistan but they wouldn’t succeed in their nefarious designs. He said the entire nation was united against terrorism.

Ameer International Khatam-e-Nabuwat Movement Dr Saeed Inayat Ullah, MPA Maulana Ilyas Chinioti and others condemned the incident while describing it a conspiracy to trigger sectarian violence in Pakistan. In a joint statement, they called for unity to foil evil designs of anti-Pakistan forces.

Secretary Information PTI Syed Sumsam Bokhari, President Central Punjab Region Abdul Aleem Khan and other leaders of PTI voiced concern over the terror wave in Pakistan. The PTI leadership expressed profound grief over the deaths of army Jawans as a result of a mine blast in Balochistan.

Former governor Ch Sarwar said the National Action Plan should be implemented today instead of tomorrow for the eradication of terrorism. He said it is the responsibility of the rulers to arrest the facilitators of terrorism along with the terrorists. Sarwar said terrorist strikes have aggrieved the whole nation, but they can’t dismantle the will of the whole nation and the entire nation is fighting against the terrorism and the time is not distant when terrorism will be eradicated from the country.

The PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Governor Zubair Umar, Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Quaid-e-Millet-Jafariya Agha Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi also condemned the terrorist attack at the premises of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine.

In their separate statements, they expressed deep sorrow and grief at the loss of lives and injuries in the blast. They prayed that Almighty Allah rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.

76 massacred at Qalandar’s shrine was posted in Top Story of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on February 17, 2017 and was last updated on February 17, 2017. This news story is related to Print/186936-76-massacred-at-Qalandars-shrine/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "76 massacred at Qalandar’s shrine" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/186936-76-massacred-at-Qalandars-shrine. </s> At least 50 persons have been reported injured in a blast on the premises of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Sehwan area of Sindh province.

Multiple injuries are feared as a large number of people frequent the shrine on Thursdays. </s> An explosion near a shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday killed at least 40 and wounded more than 100 people in the latest in a string of blasts this week, according to Pakistan local media. The blast went off near the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in the town of Sehwan in Sindh province, Pakistan’s Samaa television and Geo TV reported. According to reports, Islamic State’s Khorasan Province group claimed responsibility for the attack,

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The blast took place during Dhamal – a Sufi ritual, when hundreds of devotees were present inside the premises of the vast mausoleum of the saint, police said.

Initial report suggests that it was a suicide bombing on portion reserved for women in the shrine, the Dawn reported, quoting SSP Jamshoro Tariq Wilayat.

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Rescue officials said due to the non availability of adequate ambulances at the shrine the toll could rise. Television channels reported that dead bodies and injured were lying inside the shrine.

Sharif in his statement decried the attack on the Sufi religious minority and vowed to fight Islamist militants who target the government and anyone who does not adhere to their strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

“The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims,” Sharif said.

“But we can’t let these events divide us, or scare us. We must stand united in this struggle for the Pakistani identity, and universal humanity.”

The exact number of casualties was not immediately clear. Samaa initially reported more than 50 people injured and Geo TV said 20 people were injured.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered immediate rescue operation and government announced emergency in the hospitals of the nearby Jamshooro and Hyderabad districts. Meanwhile, reports say that Pakistan Air Force’s transport plane would would airlift the injured.

The attack comes a day after at least seven people were killed and several others injured, including judges, in two separate suicide attacks in Pakistan’s restive northwestern region. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for those attacks.

Earlier on Monday, a suicide bomber struck police escorting a protest rally in Lahore. The blast ripped through the crowd of hundreds of pharmacists, who were protesting new amendments to a law governing drug sales. Six police officers, including a former provincial counterterrorism chief, were among the 13 killed in the attack which was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar as well. </s> A powerful claimed by the Islamic State ripped through a Sufi shrine in Sehwan town of Pakistan's Sindh province on Thursday, killing at least 50 people, including women and children, and injuring scores

Assistant Superintendent of Police in Sehwan said a suicide bomber entered the Lal Shehbaz Qalandar shrine through its Golden gate. The attacker blew himself up after throwing a grenade, which failed to explode, he said.

The explosion took place at the spot where the "Dhamaal" Sufi ritual was being performed within the premises of the shrine.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

There were conflicting reports about casualties in the Taluka Hospital Medical Superintendent Moinuddin Siddiqui said at least 50 bodies and scores of injured were brought to the hospital.

A stampede followed the as a large number of devotee, including women and children, were present in the shrine.

Contingents of police reached the shrine that is situated slightly off the Super Highway in Dadu district of Sindh. Hundreds of people gather at the Sufi saint's shrine every Thursday for religious rituals.

Police chief Jamshoro Tariq Wilayat told Dawn that initial reports suggested it was a suicide bombing in the area reserved for women in the shrine.

"It seems to be a suicide bombing according to initial information provided by Sehwan police to me and I am on way to Sehwan," Wilayat said.

An emergency has been declared in all hospitals of the area, with the injured being shifted to Liaquat Medical Complex Jamshoro and the sub-district hospital.

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed that immediate assistance be provided to civil authorities. Army contingents were dispatched along with medical personnel. Combined Military Hospital Hyderabad has also been alerted to receive casualties.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said he had directed rescue teams to reach the spot of the attack.

The last attack on a Sufi shrine took place on November 12, 2016, when a suicide bomber struck the shrine of Shah Norani in Khuzdar district of Balochistan, killing at least 52 people and leaving 102 injured.

The explosion had taken place where the Dhamaal was being performed. At least 500 people were gathered at the spot to observe the ritual. </s> Suicide bombers attacked a court complex in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least six people, police said.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Taliban Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in town of Tangi in the district of Charsadda.

At least six people were killed and 15 wounded in Tuesday's attack, according to police and hospital officials at the Tangi government hospital where the wounded are being treated.

Three suicide attackers attempted to attack the court, but as they exploded their vests, they were shot dead at the gate, another police official, Sabz Ali, told Al Jazeera.

Police sources said a search operation was launched in the area following the blast. That search has now been completed and the area was deemed clear.

A wave of recent attacks has gripped Pakistan. Over the past 10 days, a string of bombings has killed more than 100 people.

In one of the attacks last week, dozens of worshippers gathered at a famed Sufi shrine were killed when an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group's suicide bomber walked into the shrine's main hall in the southern Sindh province and detonated his explosives. The death toll from that attack has since risen to 90.

The shrine bombing prompted a countrywide crackdown by security forces targeting armed groups and their hideouts. </s> KARACHI: At least 70 people died on Thursday (Feb 16) when a bomb ripped through a crowded Sufi shrine in Pakistan, police said, in the deadliest attack to hit the militancy-plagued country so far in 2017.

The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by the Amaq propaganda agency linked to the Sunni Muslim militant group.

Pakistan's leaders vowed revenge for the attack on the shrine in the town of Sehwan in Sindh province, some 200 kilometres northeast of the provincial capital Karachi, which came after a bloody week of exremist assaults shook the country's growing sense of security.

A police source said a suicide bomber had entered the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a 13th century Muslim saint, and blown himself up among the devotees. The shrine had been crowded on a Thursday, considered a sacred day for prayers.

"So far 70 people have been killed and more than 150 wounded," Inspector General of Police for Sindh province A.D. Khawaja told AFP.

"Many wounded people are in critical condition and they will be shifted to Karachi as soon as Navy helicopters and C-130 plane reach nearest airport."

Emergency services are basic in Sehwan, with the nearest main hospital some 130 kilometres away. Provincial health minister doctor Sikandar Maindro said an emergency had been declared in Karachi hospitals.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif swiftly issued a statement saying an attack on Sufis was considered a "direct threat".

Military chief General Qamer Javed Bajwa warned: "Each drop of (the) nation's blood shall be revenged, and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone."

Pakistan has seen a dramatic improvement in security in the past two years, but a series of attacks this week - most claimed by the Pakistani Taliban - has shaken the growing sense of optimism.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban said it had carried out a suicide bombing in Lahore which killed 13 people and wounded dozens more on Monday, days after the group had vowed to launch a fresh offensive.

Four suicide bombers struck northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six people and unnerving civilians further.

"The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims. But we can't let these events divide us, or scare us," Sharif said in his statement. "We have faced tougher circumstances, and still persevered."

The attacks underscore Pakistan's struggle to stamp out extremism, which was stepped up after the country's deadliest ever attack, a Pakistani Taliban assault on a school in Peshawar in 2014 which left more than 150 people dead - mostly children.

The army intensified a long-awaited operation in the semi-autonomous tribal areas, where militants had previously operated with impunity, and the government launched a vaunted National Action Plan against extremism.

Emboldened Pakistanis are once again attending public gatherings and the growing confidence is palpable after more than a decade of militant attacks.

But critics have repeatedly warned that the crackdown does not address the root causes of extremism, and groups like the Pakistani Taliban - and, increasingly, Islamic State - can still carry out spectacular assaults. </s> HUB – At least 62 people were killed and 102 were injured injured after a bomb went off in the crowded Shah Noorani Shrine in Hub town of Balochistan’s Lasbela District on Saturday evening. Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti

HUB – At least 62 people were killed and 102 were injured injured after a bomb went off in the crowded Shah Noorani Shrine in Hub town of Balochistan’s Lasbela District on Saturday evening.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti confirmed over 50 deaths in the incident.

The militant Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to international news agencies.

Shah Noorani Shrine: Initial report Afghan teen carried out suicide blast

Teams of medics and paramedics from Pakistan Army’s Medical Corps and Pakistan Rangers Sindh reached the site of explosion, and gave first aid to the injured. After preliminary medical attention, the injured were referred to nearby hospitals in Hub, Khuzdar and Lasbella.

Rescue teams reached the scene after six hours.

Details coming from local TV reports suggest the blast occurred near the courtyard at the shrine where devotees were performing Dhamal on Saturday.

According to senior Edhi official in Khuzdar district, at the time of the blast, there were at least 500 people gathered at the spot to view the performance.

Rescue teams reached the scene and started shifting the injured to nearby hospitals. A control room was also established in Quetta to coordinate rescue efforts.

Emergency has been imposed in Civil Hospital Karachi, AMS Dr. Abdul Qadir said.

The fateful incident occurs a day after the law enforcement agencies killed commander of a banned outfit during an action in Hub area.

Security forces kill Jundullah commander in Hub

In a joint action, late on Thursday night, Rangers, Frontier Corps and police gunned down commander Arif alias Saqib of banned outfit Jundullah, after exchange of fire.

Arif was mastermind of suicide attacks in Karachi and Balochistan. Huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized during the action. Meanwhile, a widespread operation has also been launched to hunt for his accomplices.

The shrine is also located in hilly terrain, which further added to the difficulties faced by emergency services.

Hazrat Baba Shah Noorani’s Shrine, which is more than 500 years old, is located in Hub in Balochistan province. It is surrounded by a striking mountain range where one can find a diversity of animal life.

Shah Noorani has been the abode of many Sufi Saints belonging to various schools of thought. It is also believed that the Prophet Noah tied his boat at this place after the great Deluge. According to the local tradition even Adam also lived here for some time.

There are “Chillagahs” (worship cells) of almost every prominent Sufi saint such as Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz, Khawaja Moeenuddin Chishti Ajmeri, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, etc. </s> KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The death toll from an Islamic State suicide bombing at a famous shrine in Pakistan has climbed to 75, with another 200 people wounded.

Fazal Palejo, a senior health official in Sindh province, provided the death toll. Three security officials confirmed the toll, saying the dead included 20 women and nine children.

The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

They say the suicide bomber walked through a gold plated door and entered the main hall of the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar before setting off his payload amid a gathering of worshippers.
At least 70 people are killed and more than 150 injured in suicide bombing at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine in Sehwan, Sindh, Pakistan; 50 of the injured are in critical condition, medical emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Hyderabad, Dadu and Jamshoro.