KARACHI: A one and half year old child was killed while at least seven people were injured in a hand grenade explosion near an Imambargah in Karachi’s Ayesha Manzil area on Tuesday night, DawnNews reported.

Initial reports suggest that a Muharram majlis for women was taking place at Islamic Research Center (IRC) Imambargah at the time of the blast. Most of the injured are women and children.

Rescue officials have shifted the injured to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Eye witnesses say that unknown miscreants hurled the cracker inside the Imambargah from over a nearby flyover bridge. According to bomb disposal squad, however, the blast was of a Russian-made hand grenade.

Security forces and police have cordoned off the area.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that unidentified motorcycle riders threw the hand grenade from the flyover. He said that police were deployed at the Imambargah at the time of the blast.

Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) has condemned the attack, seeking more security to Shia mourners during the holy month of Muharram. “We demand full security to the mourners from Sindh government,” said Allama Raja Nasir Abbas of MWM.

He also demanded a swift arrest of the culprits behind the attack.

Condemning the attack on mourners, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that terrorists want to incite sectarian violence in the country. He termed the attack on women’s majlis a cowardly act.

Demanding further steps from the government to beef up security of the mourners, Hussain urged Islamic clerics to show unity in order to promote sectarian harmony.

It may be mentioned that security has been beefed up across the country including Karachi in a bid to thwart terror attacks in the month of Muharram.

On Sunday, police in Karachi claimed that they killed nine suspected extremists, who according to them were planning to target Muharram related events.

Main Ashura procession among other Muharram events have been attacked in Karachi in the past as well.