Explosion leaves at least 27 dead and dozens injured during Muslim holidayA suicide bomb ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, sparking riots during the Muslim sect's most important holiday. At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence, officials said. Some news agencies say as many as 35 are dead.
Shiites went on a rampage after the explosion, burning shops and cars in Hangu, about 125 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad, district police chief Ayub Khan said. Army troops later took control of the area and a curfew was imposed.
Khan said 23 people died in the bombing and riots that followed. Officials reported gunfire between groups of rioters and security forces. Aziz ur-Rahman, a commander of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary, said three men and a woman died in a separate shooting on a minibus on the outskirts of the town.
Violence also marred a festival marking Ashura in Afghanistan, where at least five people were killed in clashes and rioting between Shiites and Sunnis in the western city of Herat, near the Iranian border. Details from MSNBC.com.
(On a personal note, I'll be glad when I hear from some of our blogging buddies in Pakistan.)
Tags: Pakistan, South Asia, Islam, Muslim, Ashura, Muharram, Media by Sistrunk
2 comments:
Hi Sistrunk! This is really nice! Finally, someone who is interested in spreading the word about the real world! Most of the blogs talk about extraneous issues that have little or no significance to other people. Good job, ms. philanthorpist!
Ray-zor: Thank you for your kind words. You have done a good job of developing your own site and sense of community. Hopefully, with people like you around, we can continue to report on "the real world." Thanks for stopping by.
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