Sehwan suicide bombing

The suicide bomber struck the pilgrims during a dhamaal (ritual dance) after the evening prayers. The bomber threw a grenade which failed to explode. At least 21 children were believed to be among the dead. The bomber used a suicide jacket, with the ball bearings in the jacket acting as shrapnel and causing casualties. ==Aftermath==

The injured and deceased were immediately shifted to the Taluka Medical Hospital Several insurgents were confronted in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Weapons, including hand grenades, were recovered from their hideouts. Resumption of daily services The next morning, the shrine's caretaker continued the daily tradition of ringing the shrine's bell at 3:30 am, and said that he would not be intimidated by terrorists. The shrine's dhamaal, or meditative dancing ceremony, resumed the evening following the attack. A few days later, several leading Pakistani artists and performers partook in a dhamaal at the shrine as a defiant response to radical Islamists. ==Reactions==

Domestic Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast, The Governor of Sindh, Mohammad Zubair, condemned the blast and said "Sindh is a land of the Sufis. The terrorists have targeted the devotees to achieve their nefarious designs." Strikes on Afghan camps ISPR spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted: "Recent terrorist acts are being executed on directions from hostile powers and from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. We shall defend and respond". On 17 February, the Pakistan Army summoned Afghan embassy officials to the General Headquarters and handed over a list of 76 insurgents hiding in Afghanistan. The army demanded that Kabul take "immediate action" or have them "handed over to Pakistan". Later, Pakistani security forces destroyed a dozen Jamaat-ul-Ahrar camps across the border in eastern Afghanistan, and killed over a dozen militants including a top trainer of suicide bombers. The strikes were confirmed by Afghan sources, who said that several Pakistani artillery rounds had hit Nangarhar Province's Lal Pur District and that "15 to 20 terrorists, among them Commander Rehman Baba, have been killed and many more injured." The Afghan foreign ministry also protested the shelling by Pakistan on its territory. International • : President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, stating that "terrorists once again, proved that they have no respect for Islamic values". Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack and offered sympathy to the families of victims and people of Pakistan. • : Ambassador Andrei Ermolovich condemned the Sehwan blast while expressing solidarity with Pakistan. He also said that Belarus stands with Pakistan in its efforts for elimination of terrorism. • : President Xi Jinping condemned the attack and offered sympathy to the Pakistani people. He said that China "will stand ready to firmly support Pakistan in its effort to fight terrorism, maintain national stability and safeguard its people". Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also expressed shock and condemned the attack. • : A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "Japan is shocked and saddened by the suicide attack". • : President Almazbek Atambayev expressed sorrow and offered condolences over the terrorist attack. == See also ==