Friday, 18 February 2005QUETTA, Pakistan - Two suspected Sunni Muslim militants have blown themselves up with explosives
after being cornered by Pakistani security personnel in the southwestern city of Quetta, police say.
The militants traded gunfire with police for more than 30 minutes, throwing at least two hand grenades in a bid to
break a cordon round their hideout in a congested part of the city over night, said Rafi Pervez Bhatti, a deputy
inspector general of police.
"One of the militants kept the police engaged in gunfire while the second detonated the explosives," said Bhatti on
Friday.
Police were trying to identify the dead men, but they are suspected of belonging to the outlawed Sunni Muslim
extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which has carried out several deadly attacks on minority Shi'ite Muslims.
"Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was etched on the rifle used by one militant," Bhatti said.
The group has also targeted top government officials, western concerns and other religious minorities since
Pakistan joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism after the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes in the United States.
The militants' hideout was on a road used by Shi'ite Muslim mourning processions during the Islamic month of
Muharram and a man who helped them to rent the house has been arrested, Bhatti added.
The dead men were suspected of planning to carry out a suicide attack on Muharram processions on Sunday, Bhatti
said.
At Muharram, Shi'ites mourn the 7th century slaying of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammad,
and his followers in the Iraqi city of Kerbala.
Last year, at least 44 people were killed in a gun and grenade attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Quetta.
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Friday, 18 February 2005
Reuters via Swissinfo
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