3 killed in blast at gambling den in Karachi

Unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at a gambling den in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi today, killing at least three persons and injuring 27 others.

The attack occurred at the crowded Jhatpat Market in Lyari area of Karachi. Scores of people were present at the gambling den. The injured and the bodies were taken to two nearby hospitals.

At least three persons were killed and 27 others injured in the attack, TV news channels reported. There was no official word on the casualties.

Rescue operations were hampered by a power outage and a large crowd that gathered in the area. Additional police forces and a bomb disposal squad were sent to the spot, officials said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, the second of its kind in less than a month. A bomb attack at another gambling den in Lyari on April 21 had killed 18 people and injured over 30 others.

Officials said the attacks could be linked to efforts by rival criminal gangs to gain control on the gambling dens.