29 Shia pilgrims killed in Pakistan
September 21st, 2011 - 1:01 am ICT by IANSIslamabad, Sep 20 (IANS) A total of 29 Shia pilgrims were killed in southwest Pakistan Tuesday, Xinhua reported. Of these, 26 were gunned down when their bus was ambushed by four gunmen in Balochistan province.
Three more Shia Muslims were killed in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, when they were going to a hospital to collect the bodies of those killed in the bus attack.
The outlawed Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for both the attacks.
The bus driver, who survived the attack, told media that four gunmen arrived in a jeep and stopped the bus near Mastung district.
After this, they asked the passengers to get off the vehicle and to stand in a queue before opening fire at them.
The victims were on a pilgrimage from Quetta to Iran.
The gunmen continued firing for 10 minutes and then fled the scene. An official said about 30 others were injured.
The injured were admitted to a local hospital, while the critically injured were shifted to Quetta.
President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the attack.
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Tags: ali, bus driver, gunmen, iran, jeep, local hospital, militant group, pakistan, pilgrimage, pilgrims, queue, shia muslims, southwest, xinhua, zardari