At least 24 Shi’ite pilgrims were killed and 40 others wounded today when a bomb tore through a pair of buses transporting them back home to Quetta after a trip to Iran.

The attack was the latest in a large number of hits against Shi’ite pilgrims, and came in spite of beefed up government security, which included a security escort for the buses.

Police say they believe the attack was a remotely detonated IED planted in the road, though they have not entirely confirmed that and say they can’t rule out a suicide attack.

No group has claimed credit for this particular attack, but the Lashkar-e Jhangvi and other Sunni militant factions have been targeting the nation’s Shi’ite minority on a growing basis for years, and the tolls show no sign of slowing down in the new year.