Pakistan Mosque Attack
May 28th, 2010 • Technology, World
At least 20 people have been killed in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore as gunmen armed with grenades attacked two mosques of a minority sect during prayers.
Some worshippers are believed to have been held hostage while gunmen battled with police after seizing control of one mosque, officials and witnesses said.
20 killed in Pakistan mosque attack. The attacks by suspected Islamist militants targeted the Ahmadi sect, which has experienced years of state-sanctioned discrimination and occasional attacks by radical Sunnis. It has never before been hit on such a large scale or co-ordinated fashion.
One of the attackers climbed on top of the minaret of one of the mosques, firing an assault rifle and throwing hand grenades, TV footage showed, while police engaged the attackers in a fierce gunfight.
Police officer Imtiaz Ahmad said several attackers are inside and are thought to be holding hostages.
Outside the other mosque several miles away, a witness complained of police inaction when the attackers struck. “I asked the policeman to open fire. He told me he could not because he only had four bullets in his gun,” said Ghalib Hussain. AP