ISIS claims responsibility after Pakistani shrine attack kills at least 75
Suicide bomber strikes in crowd of dancing worshippers
The death toll from a suicide bombing at a famous shrine in Pakistan has climbed to 75, with another 200 people wounded.
Fazal Palejo, a senior health official in Sindh province, provided the death toll. Three security officials confirmed the toll, saying the dead included 20 women and nine children.
- Blast in centre of Pakistani city of Lahore kills 13
- Foreigners who sign up to fight ISIS now face wrath of Turkish army
The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the attack on their Aamaq news agency, saying a suicide bomber had targeted a "Shia gathering" at the shrine.
Pakistani officials said the suicide bomber walked through a gold plated door and entered the main hall of the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar before setting off his payload amid a gathering of worshippers.
Senior police officer Rashad Hayat said the attacker detonated his suicide jacket when hundreds of worshippers were performing their weekly mystical dance — called Dhamal — at the shrine in the town of Sehwan in the southern Sindh province.
Local government official Munawar Ali also confirmed that attack and said their priority was to quickly transport the victims of the suicide attack.
The military says it is dispatching troops to contribute to the relief effort.