At least 43 people were killed and many others were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on bus passengers in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday.
According to Ghulam Haider Jamali, police chief of Sindh Province, six men in motorcycles suddenly began shooting at the bus. When the bus stopped, some of the men started shooting at the passengers, killing more than 40 people and injuring others, the New York Times reports.
The attackers quickly left the scene. Survivors said the gunmen were disguised in police uniforms.
An injured passenger drove the bus to Memon Hospital Institute after the bus driver was killed in the attack.
One of the survivors said she heard one of the gunmen shout, "Kill them all," Euronews reports.
Jundullah, a militant group linked with the Taliban that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The bus, which took a daily route from a gated Ismaili residential area to other parts of Karachi, carried at least 60 passengers, most of them Shiite Muslims, which are viewed by Taliban and Sunni extremist groups as apostates.
Pakistani political scientist and analyst Hasan Askari said that the tragic bus shooting could be a message to the Pakistan government in light of the intensified crackdown on extremist groups.
"It's a pre-emptive strike... it looks like an action to deter the army and Rangers from taking any firm actions agains these militant groups," Askari said. The analyst added that the government will most likely not be deterred by the tragic event, Time reports.
Army chief Raheel Sharif postponed his trip to Sri Lanka to personally lead the investigation into the attack.
The prime minister of Pakistani, Nawaz Sharif, condemned the attack against the Ismailis, saying that they are "a very patriotic and peaceful people who have always worked for the well-being of Pakistan," according to Euronews.
