The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a shrine in southwest Pakistan that killed at least 43 people and wounded more than 100.
The attack took place shortly after sunset on Saturday evening, targeting worshippers at the shrine in the remote Khuzdar district of Pakistan's Baluchistan province.
Dozens of wounded people were being moved to the nearby town of Hub and to Karachi, rescue official Hakeem Nasi told Geo TV.
The government dispatched 25 ambulances from Hub to the shrine.
The IS statement released by the group's news agency said 35 people had been killed and more than 95 wounded in the attack.
"Thirty-five visitors of the Shia shrine were killed and 95 injured in a martyrdom attack by Islamic State fighters targeting the shrine in Baluchistan in Pakistan," the statement read.
The blast at the Shah Noorani shrine, about 100km north of the port city of Karachi, took place while hundreds of people were inside.
"Every day, around sunset, there is a dhamaal (ritual dance) here, and there are large numbers of people who come for this," said Nawaz Ali, the shrine's custodian.
Baluchistan has seen some of the worst militant attacks this year in Pakistan, one of which was claimed by an Islamist movement that is allied to the Islamic State group.
Reuters
