The death toll from twin bomb blasts in Karachi rose to seven on Wednesday as police said they suspected the attack was targeted at members of a minority Muslim sect.
Two bombs detonated three minutes apart during Tuesday evening rush hour, tearing through the Pakistani financial capital’s crowded Hyderi Market, initially killing six people, including a young girl, and wounding 25.
The death toll rose to seven on Wednesday as one of the wounded succumbed to her injuries during the night, top provincial health official Kamaluddin Shaikh told reporters.
Senior police official Aslam Khan said investigators suspected the Bohra community was the target of the blasts, which could be heard several kilometres away, as they own many of the shops and houses in the area.
“They are a peaceful community that live in tens of thousands in Karachi and mainly do business. We are investigating why they have been targeted,” he said.
Bohras are an offshoot of the minority Shiite Muslim group, but regard themselves as quite distinct and follow different customs.