Police say bomb in Pakistan’s Karachi city hit bus carrying Shiite Muslim worshippers

Police: Bomb hits bus carrying Shiites in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan — Police say a bomb apparently attached to a motorcycle exploded next to a bus carrying Shiite Muslim worshippers in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.

Local TV reports said at least two people were killed in the Friday blast.

Karachi has seen a number of blasts aimed at minority Shiites in recent weeks, including one that killed dozens at a procession.

Senior police official Javed Akbar said the bus carried mainly young and female Shiite worshippers heading to a religious gathering.

The apparent sectarian attacks are part of a wave of violence that has gripped Pakistan since the army launched an anti-Taliban offensive in the country’s northwest in October.

Police chief Waseem Ahmad appealed to Shiites in the city to remain calm.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Police say a bomb apparently attached to a motorcycle has exploded in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.

Police chief Waseem Ahmad says several people are feared dead or wounded.

Karachi has seen a number of blasts in recent weeks, part of a wave of violence that has gripped Pakistan since the army launched an anti-Taliban offensive in the country’s northwest in October.

It was not immediately clear what or who Friday’s bomb was intended to target.