Pakistani authorities raised the possibility Saturday that Taliban fugitives and their al-Qaida allies carried out a massacre of 44 Shiite Muslims at a mosque in this southwest Pakistani town across the border from Afghanistan. The attack on Friday was the first use of a suicide bomber in Pakistan’s bitter sectarian conflict between extremist Shiite and Sunni Muslims. It came a few weeks after a former Taliban military commander said the ousted Sunni Muslim movement would begin using suicide squads against its foes. President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday the attackers could have come from outside Pakistan, adding “if there is any external hand in this incident, we will find out.” Shiite Muslims beat their chests and wailed at a mass funeral for victims, who included four children ranging from 5 to 11 years old. Full Story
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