Shi'ite Muslim men from the ethnic Hazara minority mourn beside the coffins of their relatives
Shi'ite Muslim men from the ethnic Hazara minority mourn beside the coffins of their relatives who were killed after gunmen opened fire on a bus during a funeral ceremony in Quetta October 23, 2014. Eight Shi'ite members of Pakistan's ethnic Hazara minority were killed, and one wounded, on Thursday, after gunmen opened fire on a bus in the volatile province of Baluchistan, police said. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed

Multiple attacks in Pakistan killed 12 people in the provincial capital of Quetta on Thursday. The attacks include a suicide-bombing and an attack on Shiite minorities that killed people from Shiite minority.

In one of the attacks, four gunmen came on motorcycles and opened fire at a minivan which carried Hazara Shiites. Six people died inside the bus as the gunmen chased another two who tried running away. The gunmen shot them dead as well. A couple of men on the bus survived with wounds. The footage of the scene was broadcast on national television in Pakistan. The footage showed police officers removing corpses and helping the injured. The Independent reported that the footage also showed family members crying and wailing. Hundreds belonging to the Hazara community later blocked a main road as an expression of protest.

According to police, it was not evident who was behind the attack. Nobody claimed the responsibility for the attack yet. However, it is suspected that Sunni extremists might be held responsible for the attack due to their history of animosity against the Shiites. Sunni extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Pakistani Taliban often claimed the responsibility of such attacks on Shiites in the past. At least 500 Hazaras have been killed in similar attacks since January 2013. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi connected itself with Al Qaeda for the 9/11 attack in the United States.

The Taliban has been trying to topple the Pakistani government and establish an orthodox set of Islamic laws in the country. The organisation has been held responsible for killing thousands of people in the country over the past decade. It has a strong base in North Waziristan. The tribal region near Afghanistan border was attacked by the Pakistani military. Baluch separatists, based in Baluchistan, are among other nationalist groups which are fighting for autonomy. They have also been trying to have the lion's share of the revenue earned with the natural resources in the region.

Quetta Police Superintendent Imran Qureshi confirmed that attack. "Six passengers died on the spot, while two others expired as they were being rushed to hospital," The Wall Street Journal quoted Qureshi.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au