KARACHI: A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in Sehwan Sharif on Thursday, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of bombings across the South Asian nation this week. 

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise.

"At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured," Sethar said by telephone.

"STAND UNITED"

The bomber entered the shrine as crowds massed on Thursday, a statement from the Sindh police spokesman said.

Rescue officials said dozens of wounded people were being ferried in private cars to hospitals.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the bombing. He vowed to fight militants. "The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims," Sharif said.

"But we can't let these events divide us, or scare us. We must stand united in this struggle for the Pakistani identity, and universal humanity."

-Reuters