Source: USA Today

Gunmen fired on a vehicle carrying Shiite Muslims in northwest Pakistan on Monday, killing four people before fleeing in what appeared to be a sectarian attack, police said.
An officer also died in the shootout while pursuing the attackers in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, area police chief Silahuddin Khan said. He said the attackers were riding on a motorcycle, and the slain men included two brothers and two of their friends.

“It seems to be a sectarian attack, but we are still investigating,” Khan said.

He said the victims had a rivalry with an outlawed Sunni militant group accused of targeting Shiite Muslims across the country.

Pakistan has a history of violence between the main Muslim sects, Shiite and Sunni. The majority of the country’s Muslims are Sunni.

Although most live together peacefully, extremists on both sides often target the other’s leaders and activists.

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Tags: gunmen, northwest Pakistan, Police, Sectarian Attack, Shiite Muslims