Karachi blast kills Shia leader

A prominent Shia cleric has been killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi in southern Pakistan, officials say.

Shia leader Allama Hassan Turabi died in hospital after the attack, which also killed one of his relatives.

Mr Turabi was approaching his house when the bomber approached him and detonated his device.

Karachi has been the scene of bloody clashes between Sunnis and Shias since the 1980s. Mr Turabi had survived a previous attempt on his life in April.

"Allama Turabi is dead," Salahuddin Haider, a spokesman for the Sindh provincial government, was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.

Police said the attacker was killed in the blast and parts of his body were found at the scene.

Two of Mr Turabi's security guards were also wounded in the explosion.

Pakistan has a history of sectarian violence, especially between the majority Sunni and minority Shia Muslim communities.

In April, Mr Turabi condemned a bomb attack that killed dozens of Sunni Muslims at a prayer ceremony in Karachi.

That same month, he narrowly escaped death when his car was hit by a remote-controlled bomb.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/5180644.stm

Published: 2006/07/14 14:00:06 GMT