| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Curfew imposed in Hangu after four killed in sectarian clashes |
| 2008-03-23 |
| A curfew has been imposed in Hangu district after clashes erupted between Shia and Sunni Muslims during a Nauroz procession on Friday, leaving four dead and 28 injured. Two of the injured are said to be in critical condition. The violence erupted after members of the Shia community of the region came under fire as they hoisted a flag on a mosque to mark the Persian New Year festival of Nauroz. Locals said the Nauroz celebrations were going on peacefully at a madrassa when they were fired upon with rockets and mortar shells, APP reported. “We have clamped an indefinite curfew and summoned troops to restore peace. The situation is tense,” local police officer Akbar Ali told AFP after the incident. He said sporadic firing continued despite the curfew. The district co-ordination officer of the region also called a jirga that successfully negotiated a truce between Sunnis and Shias of the area. The ceasefire is to last five months. Each sect has deposited Re 1 million with the jirga as a form of surety bond. |
| Posted by:Fred |