Bomb kills at least 8 people near Pakistan mosque

Protesters mourn the death of fellow Shiite Muslims at a rally in Islamabad

BHAKKAR, Pakistan (CNN) -- A bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque Thursday night, killing at least eight people and wounding at least 19 others, five of them seriously, police and hospital sources said.

The bomb, which was connected to a timing device, detonated at 11:30 p.m. (1730 GMT) in the women's section of an outdoor gathering of 5,000 Shiites in Bhakkar, police sources said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, which took place in the south of Punjab province 200 miles south of Islamabad.

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Sectarian violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims has killed hundreds of people in Pakistan in the last several years.

In addition, Pakistan is holding a referendum next week in which President Pervez Musharraf is seeking a five-year extension of his term.