A suicide bombing ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, sparking riots during the Muslim sect's most important holiday. At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence, officials said.
Shiites went on a rampage after the explosion, burning shops and cars in Hangu, about 125 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad, district police chief Ayub Khan said. Army troops later took control of the area and a curfew was imposed.
Khan said 23 people died in the bombing and riots that followed. Officials reported gunfire between groups of rioters and security forces.
Violence also marred a festival marking Ashoura in Afghanistan, where at least five people were killed in clashes and rioting between Shiites and Sunnis in the western city of Herat, near the Iranian border.
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