Bomb blast in Karachi leaves 4 dead 30 hurt

(MENAFN- Arab News) Bambari: karachi: a powerful bomb exploded near a mosque in pakistan's largest city karachi on friday killing at least four people and wounding 30 others officials said.

the attack took place in the neighborhood of clifton in karachi the capital of southern sindh province senior police officer abdul khaliq sheikh said. the bomb badly damaged several vehicles and a nearby multi-story building he said.

it occurred outside a local mosque in the city's delhi colony as worshippers were leaving after offering weekly friday prayers.

pakistani television stations showed the blast scene littered with broken glass and debris. five of the wounded were in critical condition said dr. seemi jamali at the city's jinnah hospital.

no one claimed responsibility but the bombing was the latest in a series of gun and bomb attacks as the government of prime minister nawaz sharif tries to reach a peace deal with the pakistani taleban to end the violence that has killed thousands of people in recent years.

the attack also took place a day after a bomb targeting prominent police officer shafiq tanoli exploded in another area of karachi killing the officer and three others. the slain officer who had survived several attempts on his life was targeted for his active campaigning against terrorists.

provincial information minister sharjeel memon told journalists that the bombers wanted to target government vehicles passing through the area. at least three vehicles bearing government plates were damaged in the bombing but it was not clear whether any government official was wounded he said.

karachi is a hiding place for local and foreign militants. clashes between heavily armed ethnic and political groups are common there.

a passing convoy of vehicles including a government car was initially thought to have been the target but provincial police chief iqbal mahmood said the theory had been discounted.

mazhar mishwani the senior investigating officer of the crime investigation department told afp that the bomb might have been planted to target a bus which routinely passes the road carrying people. sagheer ahmed the health minister for sindh province told reporters that the blast killed four people and wounded 30 others five seriously. mishwani said the 10-kilo bomb was planted under the back seat of an auto-rickshaw.

on thursday a senior policeman who had survived several assassination attempts was killed with three other people in a suicide attack in karachi claimed by a taleban faction.

the pakistani government is in talks with the umbrella tehreek-e-taleban pakistan (ttp) group to end their bloody seven-year insurgency but the mohmand chapter which claimed thursday's attack has rejected the peace process.

karachi a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 percent of pakistan's gdp has been plagued for years by sectarian ethnic and political violence.