Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The death toll from two attacks in Pakistan rises

The death toll from the double suicide bombing yesterday in a Sufi shrine of Sakhi Sarwar in Punjab province, in eastern Pakistan rose to 50, while the wounded 110, police and hospital sources said. Police confirmed Monday that the explosion occurred at the entrance of the mosque Sufi Sakhi Sarwar in Dera Ghazi Khan district, where thousands of faithful were to celebrate a traditional annual festival in honor of the saint that names the temple .

Three suicide vests arrived on foot to the scene and two of them detonated his charges when arrested by officers at the entrance of the mosque, while the third was captured without being able to detonate the explosives, according to the Pakistani daily Dawn. Police reported Sunday that two suicide bombers entered the temple of Sakhi Sarwar, dedicated to the Sufi saint of the same name, which blew up at a time when thousands of pilgrims were in the room.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Sunni extremists and the Taliban are ardent opponents of the Sufis and their shrines and temples considered idolatry. The Sunni fundamentalist organizations and the Pakistani Taliban have repeatedly attacked Sufi congregations, who seek a mystical interpretation of Islam away from the strictness of Islam.

One of the bloodiest attacks against Sufism, which also binds to many Shiites, was carried out in July 2010 against the shrine of Data Darbar in Lahore, killing at least 50 people dead.

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