Bomb Kills 5 After Eid Prayers in SW Pakistan

Posted August 31st, 2011 at 2:35 am (UTC-5)
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Pakistani police say a car bomb has killed at least five people and wounded 10 others, as the country celebrates the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Authorities said the blast occurred Wednesday in the southwestern city of Quetta, as hundreds of people were leaving a mosque following Eid al-Fitr prayers. The festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Police said a preliminary investigation suggested that someone planted the bomb in a car and left it outside the mosque to detonate. The explosion damaged several other cars and at least one nearby building.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which is home to both Taliban militants and nationalists who have fought against the government for decades.