We carried out the suicide bombing against Shias in Karachi,” Asmatullah Shaheen, one of the commanders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Terrorist Group said”.

A spokesman threatened to carry out more such attacks in the coming days against Shia Muslims.

Dozens of people were injured in the bomb, which struck as Shias marked the climax of the holy month of Muharram.

After the explosion, marchers turned their anger on ambulance workers, security forces and journalists.

The death toll from a suicide bomber’s attack on a Shia religious procession in Karachi was reported to have risen to 43.

‘Our man’

“We carried out the suicide bombing in Karachi against Shia mourners,” the AFP news agency quoted Asmatullah Shaheen, one of the commanders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Terrorist Group(TTP) as saying.

“He [the bomber] was our man. His name was Hasnain Muawia and we did it to remove Shias all over the world”, said Mr Shaheen whose name is on a government list of 20 most-wanted militants.

“We will carry out more such attacks on Shia Muslims and also target government installations just who are Shias,” he said.

Hundreds of Shia civilians have martyred in bomb attacks as Pakistan’s army concludes an offensive against Taliban Terrorist militants in South Waziristan and surrounding areas.