Bomb attack kills 3 Shia Muslims in SW Pakistan

A bomb attack has targeted a bus carrying Shia Muslim pilgrims in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least three and wounding over thirty others including several security officers.

The pilgrims were on their way back home from Iran, when a parked explosive-laden car in southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta blew up as the bus passed by it.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

Every year millions of Muslims pilgrims flock to the holy shrines in the Iranian cities of Mashhad and Qom.

Pro-Taliban groups have launched a violent campaign against Shia Muslims and appear to have widened their terror campaign in major Pakistani cities.

Several Shia religious gatherings have been targeted in different parts of the country over the past few months.

Meanwhile, Taliban-linked militants in the towns of Parachinar and Hangu and other areas in the Kurram tribal region have killed hundreds of Shia community members in recent years

Shia Muslims in Pakistan say the government must take decisive action against the forces involved in the targeted killings. They also accuse Islamabad of failing to provide security for the Muslim community.

The killing of Shias has caused an international outrage, with rights groups and regional countries expressing concern over the ongoing deadly violence.

Shias make up about a third of Pakistan’s population of over 180 million.