A SUICIDE BOMBER HAS killed at least 53 people in Quetta, southwest Pakistan, today. A further 197 people are injured, according to Pakistani news site DAWN.com.

Hundreds of people were participating in an annual Shia procession in support of Palestinians was being held in Quetta when the bomber struck.

Police said that rally organisers were advised to use a different route in case of an attack.

A group of people reacting angrily to the bombing tried to set fire to a building and some vehicles, and fired shots into the air.

This local news footage shows the panic in Quetta in the wake of the bombings. You can hear gun shots in the background [WARNING: graphic content]:

AP reports that earlier today, a suicide bomber killed one person and wounded several more at a mosque in Mardan, in the northwest of the country.

This was the second attack on Shia Muslims in as many days. On Wednesday, three explosions claimed by the Taliban killed more than 30 people in Lahore, eastern Pakistan, as thousands attended a traditional Shia procession in the city.

Government officials have said they can no longer protect outdoor gatherings, according to this BBC report.

Minority Shia Muslims have come under increasing attack recently. The president’s media adviser, Farahnaz Ispahani told Al Jazeera:

What we have seen unfortunately in the holy month of Ramadan, is that these so called Islamic groups, who profess to be the saviours of Islam, have continued their suicide bombings on innocent civilians and on our military forces and police force.

Pakistan is still reeling from the extensive flooding which has plagued the country for five weeks, and looks likely to continue in parts of the country for several more weeks.