Gunmen opened fire on Shi'ites April 6 in Parachinar, a remote town in northwestern Pakistan, triggering gunbattles between majority Sunni and minority Shi'ites that have left at least 40 dead and 43 wounded. Some Shi'ites retaliated, burning down Sunni-owned shops and homes. Arbab Mohammed Arif Khan, secretary for law and order in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, confirmed the death toll, and said the local government has imposed a round-the-clock curfew in the town. "People from both sides damaged each other’s property yesterday and today, and sporadic clashes are still continuing there," he said April 7. (AP [1], April 7) Later that day, the army and paramilitary forces, backed by armored personnel carriers, entered Parachinar and secured positions. Cobra helicopters attacked combatant positions from the air. (Dawn [2], Pakistan, April 8)
See our last post on Pakistan [3].
