Muharram: Ashura procession attacked in Pakistan, two dead, 50 injured

A bomb exploded in Bahawalnagar, central Pakistan, killing at least two persons and injuring 52 others who were attending a Shia parade commemorating Ashura (August 19).

According to Reuters, the parade began at Imam Bargah Jamiatu Zehra, and as it reached Jail Road, an explosion occurred, leaving numerous people injured. 

The home minister told Pakistani media that at approximately 10 am, a man tossed a grenade at a procession passing by Jamia Masjid in Muhajir Colony in Bahawalnagar, adding that the assailant had been apprehended. 

Ashura commemorates Imam Hussein Ibn Ali's martyrdom in 680 AD near Kerbala, in what is now Iraq, on the 10th day of the lunar calendar month of Muharram, which occurs this year on August 19. 

Shia Muslims commemorate the occasion with massive public ceremonies, which sometimes include bloody self-flagellation or cutting to symbolise a link to Hussein's sufferings, whose death represents a larger battle against oppression and tyranny. 

A number of additional processions are taking place around Pakistan, in both small and large towns and cities.

(With inputs from agencies)