Taliban Claim Attacks Against Shia Worshipers in Pakistan

The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan claimed credit for a suicide attack in Rawalpindi that killed 12 people as well as two bombings in Karachi that killed two more. The attacks in both cities, which took place yesterday, targeted imambargahs, or congregation halls for Shia worshipers. From Dawn:

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan while talking to Dawn.com's correspondent on Thursday, said that the TTP was responsible for the blasts carried out a day earlier near Imambargahs in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

While giving details of the attacks Ehsan said that the organisation had carried out a suicide blast in Rawalpindi whereas the twin explosions in Karachi were planted bombs adding that it would stage more attacks on Shias over the next few days.

The statement came after the TTP had claimed responsibility for two earlier blasts on the same day in Bannu and Shangla areas, bringing the tally of cities targeted on Wednesday to four.

Yesterday's attacks took place at the start of Muharram, the Muslim holy month that marks the beginning of the new year. Ironically, fighting is prohibited during Muharram.

The Taliban and their allies, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, routinely attack mosques and other places of worship in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.