Seven die in Karachi as gunmen hit Shia mosque

Gunmen opened fire inside a Shia Muslim mosque in Karachi in southern Pakistan yesterday, killing seven worshippers and injuring at least seven others, police and hospital officials said.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, but Shias have recently come under attack from Sunni Muslim extremist groups, and authorities have recently arrested several members of the banned Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The attack took place at the mosque Imam Bargha Mehdi near the airport in this violent port city as worshippers were performing their evening prayers. Three gunmen fled the scene after opening fire with automatic weapons.

At least seven bodies were brought to nearby Jinnah Hospital. Seven other people were injured. Police said about 25 people were believed to be inside the mosque at the time of the shooting.

Dozens of shocked relatives and friends of the victims gathered outside the hospital. Karachi has been the site of a series of violent attacks, many against Westerners and minority Christians, in recent months.

Last June, a car bomb outside the US consulate killed 12 people and injured 50. And in May, a suicide bombing outside the Sheraton Hotel killed 11 French engineers and two other people.