(12 Apr 2000) Urdu/Nat
Gunmen hurled a grenade into a prayer meeting of Shiite Muslims in Pakistan and then fired automatic rifles at the crowd of dozens of worshippers, killing at least 11 people and wounding 20 others.
Shiite Muslim leaders said the death toll was 15.
The attack at the prayer meeting attended by more than 100 people in Mulawali, near the capital Islamabad.
Women in the village of Mulawali in Pakistan mourning the death of their loved ones.
These men were killed after an attack on a prayer meeting held by Shiite Muslims on Tuesday night.
Gunmen threw hand grenades into the gathering and then opened fire.
According to officials 11 people were killed - Shiite leaders put the death toll at 15.
A police officer was among the dead.
No one had taken responsibility for the massacre, which took place in the hometown of Sajjad Naqvi, the leader of
Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan, a group that advocates the implementation of Shiite Muslim law.
Most of Pakistan's 140 (m) million people are Sunni Muslims, who have no quarrel with Shiite Muslims.
In recent years, however, militant Muslim groups belonging to both sects have emerged and clashes are becoming more frequent.
The government has stepped up security to prevent attacks on Shiite Muslims during the Islamic month of Muharram,
when devout Shiite Muslims mourn the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Islam's prophet Mohammed.
An eye witness described what happened.
SOUNDBITE: (Urdu)
The religious meeting was underway it was about 1030pm (Tuesday) and two hand grenades were thrown unexpectedly and after that they opened fire and the men were either killed or injured
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Security men were scouring the area where the attack took place, looking for any clues that would help them find the attackers.
Twenty people wounded during the attack were still being treated.
Many of them were taken to hospitals in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad - the village of Mulawali is 150 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of the capital.
Villagers also took to the streets in protest at the killings.
Tehrik-e-Jafria has blamed Sunni Muslims belonging to Sipah-e-Sahabah Pakistan, or the Guardians of the Friends of the Prophet.
That group has been implicated in scores of killings of Shiite Muslims in recent years.
The SSP denied involvement and placed the blame on neighboring India.
Army soldiers headed toward Mulawali on Wednesday where it was believed they would try to keep the peace during
funerals that were to be held later in the day.
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