Taliban kills Shia school children in Pakistan

 

Taliban kills Shia school children in Pakistan Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:55:58 GMT

Moderate Sunni groups and political activists protest against Shia blockade and killings in Parachinar The Taliban insurgents in northwestern Pakistan ambush a minibus carrying Shia children to school, killing three and injuring several others. At least eight other Shia Muslim children appear to have been kidnapped by the attackers. The incident happened on Friday morning outside the town of Hangu in the troubled North West Frontier Province, state-run television PTV reported. The driver of the minibus was also killed in the lethal attack. The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured children are said to be in critical condition, according to medics. Hangu is located about 175 kilometers (110 miles) west of the capital Islamabad. Taliban-linked militants in Parachinar, Hangu towns and the other areas of the Kurram tribal agency have killed 25 to 30 people on a daily basis during the last six months, local media reports say. Some reports have cited grave human rights abuses against Shias in the northwestern Pakistani city of Parachinar. Taliban has established its rule in the restive Swat valley and its influence is also rapidly increasing its grip on the major cities and even the so-called settled areas of the country. Shia sources say that the community makes up one-third of Pakistan's 160 million-strong population. Since the 1980s, thousands of people have been killed in violence-related incidents in Pakistan by extremist groups. Moderate Pakistani Sunni groups believe that leaving Shias at the mercy of the Taliban is a conspiracy against the country. Earlier, Tehran cautioned Islamabad over the 'silent massacre' of its Shia community by the Taliban in the country. "The incidents that have occurred against Pakistan's Shia community are a plot to create conflict between the region's Sunni and Shia population," said Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. "We have warned Islamabad over the incidents and we will pursue the matter," he added.