Members of special anti-terrorist squad stand alert at check post during Shi'ite Muslim procession in Rawalpindi

A suspected suicide bomber has killed at least 10 people and injured more than 40 others in northwestern Pakistan. The bomb blast ripped through a crowd of Shi'ite Muslims observing the religious festival of Ashura, the faith's holiest day.

Hundreds of Shi'ite protesters destroyed cars and burned shops after the bomb attack in Hangu, about two hundred kilometers southwest of the capital.

Angry mobs clashed with police and army reinforcements who regained control of the city and imposed a strict curfew.

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao says tensions in the city remain high.

He says both Sunni and Shi'ite clerics are using loudspeakers urging local residents to remain calm.

Ashura is the holiest day of the year for Shi'ite Muslims, who are a minority in Pakistan. It marks the death of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Pakistan has long suffered from sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. The annual Ashura celebrations are frequently targeted by Sunni extremists and security forces are on high alert throughout Pakistan.

VOA News