TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi strongly condemned on Friday terrorist blast in a Sufi Muslim shrine in Pakistan which left at least 18 people dead.

“Such blind attacks are targeted at undermining security in Pakistan and fuelling religious clashes. Awareness and unity are required to fight terrorism and eradicate violence in Pakistan,” he said.

He expressed sympathy with the Pakistani government, people and the families of the victims.

The attack was carried out on Thursday by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at the entrance of a Sufi shrine in Pakistan’s south-western province of Baluchistan.

The suicide explosion left at least 18 people killed and 25 others wounded. The number of casualties is expected to rise.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

According to Aljazeera, this same shrine, built to honour Sufi saint Pir Rakhel Shah, was also attacked on March 19, 2005, in one of the first such attacks in Pakistan. At least 35 people were killed in that suicide attack.

Pakistan has been targeted by many terrorist attacks. 

In August, a blast targeting military personnel killed 15 people and injured 32 in Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan.

In February, Daesh claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on Pakistan since 2014 which left 88 people dead.

NA