7 dead: Bomb hits religious procession

Blast hits a part of the procession with many children, kills three of them The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for similar attacks on Shiites The interior minister has banned cell phones and motor bikes in certain cities Cell phones and motor bikes are commonly used for detonating and hiding bombs (CNN) -- Seven people died, including three children, in a blast targeting a Shiite religious procession in Pakistan Saturday, police spokesman Khalid Sohail said. Shia Islam is a minority religion in the mainly Sunni Muslim country, and its members face persecution from extremists. The Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for similar attacks earlier this week but no one claimed responsibilty for Saturday's attack. The bomb was planted in a garbage container in the city of Dera Ismail Khan and exploded as the last section of the procession was passing by, in which children were following adults, said Sohail. The blast injured 18 more, including five children and two police officials. The city lies more than 200 miles west of Lahore. The country is on high alert due to the two-day high holy Shiite holiday of Ashura, in which believers mourn the death of a key imam in the seventh century. The government is taking precautionary measures to increase security for the observance, which culminates Saturday. Interior Minister Rehman Malik has temporarily blocked cell phone services in cities, where gathered intelligence indicated the possibility of bombs detonated by cell phone. He has also banned motor bikes, a popular object to conceal bombs in, for two days in some cities. He said the safeguards were implemented specifically to protect Shiites. At least 31 people were killed and 68 wounded in multiple bomb attacks Wednesday despite heightened security. A Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman said those attacks targeted Shiites, who the terrorists believe denigrate the Prophet Mohammed with their religious observance. Ashura commemorates the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The battle and subsequent death of Imam Hussein caused the split between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.