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3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta

Local residents carry the coffin of a bomb blast victim during a funeral in Mingora, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.

Pakistan Bomb Blasts Kill More Than 110

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VOA News

January 11, 2013

Officials in Pakistan's Baluchistan province Friday declared a three-day mourning period, following deadly bomb blasts in the province capital.

Authorities said security forces have been deployed around Quetta where political and religious groups say they will hold protests against the bombings.

The victims' funerals are set to begin Friday.

Police say two suicide bomb blasts Thursday in Quetta in a billiards hall frequented by Shi'ite Muslims killed 82 people.

The billiards hall attack came just hours after another deadly bomb blast in the Quetta market.

A string of bombings across Pakistan Thursday killed 115 people and wounded nearly 250, on one of the nation's deadliest days in years.

The outlawed militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the Quetta explosions.

Shi'ites make up about 20 percent of Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.

Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch, said Friday that Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslims are living in a state of siege and warned sectarian violence is likely to rise. He said "if yesterday's attack is any indication, it's just going to get worse." Four hundred Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year.

People mourn next to the coffins of their relatives who were killed in bombings, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
People attend funeral prayers for a victim who was killed by a bomb blast, in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
Shi'ite Muslims hold a silent protest a day after deadly blasts in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. (H. Samsoor/VOA)
Journalists hold a black flag outside the Quetta Press Club to mourn the three journalists killed in the January 10th explosions in the city, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
A paramilitary soldier frisks a man at the entrance of a mosque in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan a day after deadly bombings, January 11, 2013.
A man takes a photograph with his mobile phone of a house that was damaged by a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
People walk around the debris from a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)
Police and residents at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)
The site of bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)

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3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta

<h1>3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>Officials in Pakistan's Baluchistan province Friday declared a three-day mourning period, following deadly bomb blasts in the province capital.<br /> <br /> Authorities said security forces have been deployed around Quetta where political and religious groups say they will hold protests against the bombings.<br /> <br /> The victims' funerals are set to begin Friday.<br /> <br /> Police say two suicide bomb blasts Thursday in Quetta in a billiards hall frequented by Shi'ite Muslims killed 82 people.   <br /> <br /> The billiards hall attack came just hours after another deadly bomb blast in the Quetta market.<br /> <br /> A string of bombings across Pakistan Thursday killed 115 people and wounded nearly 250, on one of the nation's deadliest days in years.<br /> <br /> The outlawed militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi  has claimed responsibility for the Quetta explosions.  <br /> <br /> Shi'ites make up about 20 percent of Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.<br /> <br /> Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch, said Friday that Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslims are living in a state of siege and warned sectarian violence is likely to rise.  He said "if yesterday's attack is any indication, it's just going to get worse." Four hundred Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year.<br /> <br /> <div> <div class="htmlPhg"> <ul class="htmlPhgList"> <li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/E6A69F3C-07CE-446B-9C80-E42DDFCB7045_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> People mourn next to the coffins of their relatives who were killed in bombings, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/4DB58E52-A141-411A-B90B-2C70E1926290_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> People attend funeral prayers for a victim who was killed by a bomb blast, in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/5C4718F0-0508-48B3-8617-785092F42286_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Shi'ite Muslims hold a silent protest a day after deadly blasts in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. (H. Samsoor/VOA) </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/503E0F4B-E54E-4292-98BA-1CC612E872BD_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Journalists hold a black flag outside the Quetta Press Club to mourn the three journalists killed in the January 10th explosions in the city, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/BFA4758B-DBFC-4FEE-8B8C-9A9F0F52A12E_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> A paramilitary soldier frisks a man at the entrance of a mosque in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan a day after deadly bombings, January 11, 2013. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/751F7A8A-1CBF-431C-AC89-81E2B6803AC1_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> A man takes a photograph with his mobile phone of a house that was damaged by a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/B4C5A1C9-1013-4265-966C-4FC00CBD5646_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> People walk around the debris from a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA) </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/A0F6696A-FEF0-44DF-8077-6DC7CE24BF52_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> Police and residents at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA) </div> </div></li><li class="htmlPhgListItem"><img class="htmlPhgImage" data-src="http://gdb.voanews.com/F126A84C-C0C5-495A-9D3B-C642ECA5B286_mwdynamic_mhdynamic_s.jpg" src="/img/spacer.gif" alt="" /><div class="htmlPhgCaption"> <div class="htmlPhgCaptionInner"> The site of bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA) </div> </div></li> </ul> <div class="htmlPhgFilmstrip"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFilmstripBackward">◀</a> <div class="htmlPhgFilmstripContainer"></div> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFilmstripForward">▶</a> </div> <div class="htmlPhgControlPanel"> <div class="htmlPhgControlsLeft"> <span class="htmlPhgControlsSlide"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPrev">⏪</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPlay">▶</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgPause">||</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgNext">⏩</a> </span> <span class="htmlPhgCount">1/9</span> </div> <div class="htmlPhgControlsRight"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgMore">...</a> <a target="_self" href="javascript:void(0)" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgFullscreenBtn">⇱</a> <a href="http://www.voanews.com/emailtofriend/photogallery/1581292.html?isflashembed=true" onclick="return openSharePopup('http://www.voanews.com/emailtofriend/photogallery/1581292.html?isflashembed=true')" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgShare" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Disable Captions" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgDisableCaption">Disable Captions</a> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Enable Captions" class="htmlPhgBtn htmlPhgEnableCaption">Enable Captions</a> </div> </div> </div> <script id="phgfaeeea702b46423583bf76616423dc6a_template_DynamicScript1" type="text/javascript" src="/js_6.13.0.31653.04/custom/HtmlPhotogallery.x.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> /*<![CDATA[*/ HtmlPhotogallery({ containerSelector: ".htmlPhg" ,width: "640px" ,height: "392px" ,renderAsClientFullSize: false ,randomOrder: false ,livetrackImgUrl: "http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=8&RecordId=1581292&SiteId=415&r=886312215&it=0&pd=20130110110000&url=" }); /*]]>*/ </script></div> <link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/sectarian-violence-expected-to-rise-in-pakistan/1581811.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/sectarian-violence-expected-to-rise-in-pakistan/1581811.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1581811&SiteId=415&r=886312215&it=0&pd=20130111094750&url=ArticleID1581811" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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