KARACHI, Pakistan, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- At least 12 people were killed in the ongoing violence in Karachi that followed the assassination of a political leader in an area mosque, police said Thursday.
The death toll since the Monday assassination of Raza Haider, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, has inched closer to 80 as police said gunfire killed 12 in the latest violence in Karachi.
Police said unknown assailants torched 12 shops, including an area hotel. The Pakistani newspaper The Nation said the situation in Karachi resembles a "battleground" as rival gangs clash in the streets. Area residents are running out of food and water as conflict continues, the report adds.
Authorities have blamed the Sunni militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba for the attack on the leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Investigators suspect members of Lashker-e-Jhangvi may have played a role in the assassination as well. UPI
