Sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan leaves 12 killed

Sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan leaves 12 killed

2012-04-04 09:06:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

GILGIT, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least twelve people were killed as a result of sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, local media reported. More than 50 others were injured.

The violence began on Tuesday when a group of unidentified people hurled a hand grenade at a group of protesters near the Gari Bagh area of Gilgit, a city located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least five people, while dozens of others were injured.

Pakistani television channels said the grenade was hurled from two motorcyclists who fled quickly. Locals and witnesses helped the victims and rushed the injured to hospitals while many others donated blood. At least 50 people were reported injured, reports said.

The initial rally had been organized by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) to demand the release of one of its leaders who was detained earlier. While authorities announced a curfew and advised residents to remain indoors, rival sects have clashed. Some residents were reported to be stranded in the middle of the fighting.

In Chilas, a small town also located in Gilgit-Baltistan, a group of gunmen attacked a passenger bus, ordering the passengers out of the vehicle before executing six of them. In a separate incident, assailants killed a man while he was in the lawn of his house in Majini Muhalla.

Pakistan's administrative military organization, the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), announced that the Army has been deployed to Gilgit to bring the situation under control.

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