PAKISTAN

Thousands of Shiites across Pakistan mourned and protested Saturday after a bombing at a Shiite mosque in the country killed at least 59 people.

In Shikarpur, the site of the blast, mourners held a mass funeral, with thousands of Shiites beating their chests and heads and wailing.

Shiite organizations also held sit-ins in different cities across Pakistan. Television footage showed some protesters burned tires and blocked roads, chanting slogans for arrest of the perpetrators and protection for Shiite worship places. The death toll rose Saturday after three victims died overnight from their wounds, said Abdul Qudoos Kalwar, a senior police official. The bombing happened in Shikarpur, when about 250 worshipers gathered in the Shiite mosque for Friday prayers, Kalwar said. Dozens were wounded. On Saturday, investigators determined a suicide bomber caused the blast, said another senior police official. - AP