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| Deadly clashes rage in Pakistan | Deadly clashes rage in Pakistan |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| At least 40 people have been killed and dozens wounded in two days of clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslims in north-western Pakistan, officials say. | At least 40 people have been killed and dozens wounded in two days of clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslims in north-western Pakistan, officials say. |
| Fighting erupted after gunmen fired on Shias in Parachinar, about 250km (150 miles) south-west of Peshawar, in North West Frontier province, reports say. | Fighting erupted after gunmen fired on Shias in Parachinar, about 250km (150 miles) south-west of Peshawar, in North West Frontier province, reports say. |
| Authorities imposed a curfew on the town and sent troops to restore order. | Authorities imposed a curfew on the town and sent troops to restore order. |
| Sectarian violence has plagued Pakistan for years with Parachinar suffering a number of Sunni-Shia clashes. | |
| Last year a dispute over a shrine left about 20 people dead. | |
| Shops burned | |
| The violence on Saturday prompted officials to issue orders to shoot on sight any person violating the curfew. | |
| At least 14 of the dead were killed when rockets hit their home early on Saturday, officials said. | |
| Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, a senior official in the semi-autonomous Kurram tribal region, told Reuters news agency both sides were using heavy weapons in the clashes. | Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, a senior official in the semi-autonomous Kurram tribal region, told Reuters news agency both sides were using heavy weapons in the clashes. |
| He said government helicopter gunships had fired at rivals' positions and would do so again if the fighting did not cease. | |
| The trouble started on Friday when Shias protested outside their mosque against Sunnis who had allegedly chanted anti-Shia slogans. | |
| Resulting gunfire directed at Shias by unidentified attackers led to raids on Sunni businesses and homes. | |
| Local Sunni leader Shirin Mengal said about 400 Sunni homes and shops had been burned. | |
| "I appeal to the government to send more troops to Parachinar to avoid any further casualties," he said. | |
| Officials said residents also attacked soldiers. | |
| Minority Shias make up about 15% of Pakistan's population of 160m. | |
| The secretary for law and order in the semi-autonomous tribal region, Arbab Mohammed Arif Khan, said he was asking clerics from both sects to try to control the situation. | |
| The Sunni-Shia schism dates to a 7th Century dispute over the heir to the Prophet Mohammad. |