Suicide attack on Ashura procession kills 33 in Karachi

At least 33 people have been killed after a bomb blast struck a procession of Shia Muslims in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, according to police sources. The explosion struck on Monday as Shia worshippers marked Ashoura, the holiest event on the Shia Muslim calendar. Police sources told  that at least 50 people were injured in the blast, with many of those in a critical condition. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. "We are trying to ascertain whether it was a time bomb or a suicide attack, but it is a terrorist attack," Abdul Wahid Khan, a senior police official, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying. The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force, has taken over responsibility for restive areas of Karachi, officials said. Television footage showed crowds around the blast area, smoke rising over the scene and ambulances going back and forth. Some people in the crowd, apparently angered at the attack, fired shots into the air, witnesses said.