At least 25 people were killed and 77 injured in three bomb attacks targeting the Shiite minority in Pakistan, police and rescue officials said on Thursday.
A bomber in a suicide vest attacked a religious procession in Rawalpindi near Islamabad just before midnight on Wednesday, said Muhammad Haroon, an official with the office of the city police chief.
Deeba Shehnaz, spokeswoman for the Rescue 1122 service, told dpa that "23 civilians were killed and 62 people injured, including eight children and four policemen."
Haroon said the bomber, aged around 18, tried to enter the Muharram festival procession and detonated his explosive-laden vest when he was stopped by volunteers deployed at the entry point.
"We have found the head of the attacker and we are investigating to identify him," he said.
Another two people were killed Wednesday in two more bomb attacks in the southern city of Karachi. Both attacks targeted Shiites, Hashim Raza, the Karachi police commissioner, told dpa.
A motorbike rigged with explosives was detonated near a Shiite mosque in Orangi Town, killing one person and injuring seven. In the second incident, a bomb was planted in the wall of a mosque in the same locality, killing one person and injuring eight.
Taliban militants Thursday took responsibility for all three attacks, while admitting that the target was the Shiite gatherings.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the Pakistani militant outfit, said the Shiites were targeted as they "insult" the Muslim prophet Mohammed and the Koran, their holy book.
"We take responsibility for the attacks at both the places (in Rawalpindi and Karachi)," Ehsan said in a statement.
"We will continue to achieve our targets, irrespective of security measures taken by (the Pakistani Interior Minister) Rehman Malik," he said.
Shiite Muslims make up around 20 per cent of Pakistan's population. They are often considered heretics by the majority Sunni Muslims and frequently targeted by extremists.
The government has increased security where Shiites meet to observe their Muharram festival in which they mourn the death of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
The bombing came on the eve of a summit meeting of eight developing Muslim countries in the capital Islamabad.