நைஜீரியா: ஷியா சுன்னி கலவரத்தில் 5 பேர் பலி

நைஜீரியாவில் ஷியாக்களுக்கும் சுன்னிகளுக்கும் இடையே நடந்துவரும் போரில் 5 பேர் கொல்லப்பட்டனர்.

ஒரு முக்கியமான சுன்னி இமாம் கொலை செய்யப்பட்டதினால், இந்த கலவரம் ஆரம்பித்து நடந்து வருகிறது

இவர்கள் தங்கள் வன்முறை வழியை விட்டு அமைதிவழி வர விரும்புவோம்

Five killed in sectarian violence - report

July 21 2007 at 05:02PM
Five people were killed and scores of houses burnt in sectarian violence in the northern Nigerian city of Sokoto over the murder of a radical Sunni cleric, hospital sources and residents said on Saturday.

"Four bodies were brought to the morgue yesterday. From what we learnt they were victims of the religious clashes in the city," Sabo Bello, a nurse at Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, told AFP.

A city resident Shehu Malam said he saw another person being burnt to death in his house. "The man was set ablaze with his house."

Kabiru Yakubu, spokesperson for the Shi'a sect in the city, told AFP his group lost five members in the crisis.





"We have confirmed that five of our members have been shot dead and at least 10 others have been wounded," he said.

"Our houses are being burnt by mobs and the military and police personnel deployed on the streets do not bother to stop or arrest the arsonists," he said.

Violence broke out in the city following the murder of Umar Dan-Maishiyya by unknown gunmen on Wednesday.

The Sunni cleric was shot in the head while leaving a mosque after preaching. The predominantly Sunni population claimed the attack was planned by the minority Shi'a sect.

Relations deteriorated between the two rival sects following violent clashes over the right to worship in the city's central mosque in 2005.

The murdered cleric was said to have spearheaded the attack against the Shi'a during the 2005 clashes. He was arrested and released just two months ago. - Sapa-AFP