KARACHI: Eight people, including a minor girl, were killed and 17 injured when gunmen attacked the ‘astana’, the place where a ‘Pir’ and faith-healer granted audience to people, in Baldia-12 area of the city on Sunday.

Police said the victims were at the ‘astana’ of ‘Jalali Baba’ when six to eight people on three motorcycles came and first hurled a grenade-like device and then opened fire.

Police surgeon Dr Jalil Qadir said that all the victims died of bullet wounds and that there was no sign of injuries caused by any blast.

“We received seven bodies — six men and a minor girl,” he said, adding that one man died during treatment, bringing the death toll to eight.

He said 12 people had been admitted to the Civil Hospital while some others had been discharged after first aid.

Dr Qadir said the condition of two of the injured was serious and they required surgery.

Though no group so far has claimed responsibility for the attack, Karachi West’s SSP Irfan Baloch said that the “modus operandi suggested involvement of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan”.

He said the ‘astana’ was established by a late deputy superintend of police, Tikka Khan, about 15 years ago and Thatta district’s Pir Mubeen gave ‘ta’aveez’ (verses written on paper) to people.

The SSP said Pir Mubeen was among the injured.

Police said there was no shrine or mausoleum at the ‘astana’.

The deceased were identified as Zainab, 5; Moin, 30; Ashraf, 50; Dilber Gul, 45; Mohammed Esa, 30; Nadeem Yunus, 40; and Abdul Jabbar. The identity of the eighth victim could not be ascertained.

This is the third such attack in Karachi in recent past.

On Jan 7, six young devotees of Ayub Shah Mazar in the hilly area of Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Maymar were killed.

A note found by police from the mazar had suggested that the crime might have been committed by a banned militant organisation to ‘terrorise the visitors’.

The note inscribed that “this would be the destiny of those who would visit it”. And it carried the signature of TTP.

On Oct 7, 2010, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Clifton, leaving eight people dead and 60 injured.