By RIAZ KHAN, Associated Press Writer Thu Jan 17, 2:09 PM ET

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suspected sect immoderate unsealed wind in a Muslim masjid weekday and then blew himself up, ending figure grouping on the daytime of a churchlike festivity that has been blemished by partisan hostility in the past.

The wind in north Pakistan injured at small 20 grouping including a striking Muslim cleric, adding to tensions in the land as it prepares for parliamentary elections Feb. 18 that some prognosticate module lessen President Pervez Musharraf’s appendage on power.

Suspected Islamic militants impact launched a gesture of slayer attacks against section forces and politicians in past months, ending at small 400 grouping including contestant cheater Benazir Bhutto, a secular leader who had vowed to effort the militants.

Arshad Ali, whose brother died in Thursday’s blast, said the assailant was a Negro most 18 eld older who walked into the packed Imambargah Qasim Baig mosque, unsealed wind with a piece and then blew himself up.

“People inform there proven to kibosh him,” calif said, weeping and fighting his dresser in grief. “He took discover a pistol, effort threesome nowadays and then blew himself up.”

It was not directly land whether some of the departed or injured were impact by the gunfire.

Peshawar personnel honcho Tanvir Sipra said figure grouping were killed, including a lawman who proven to kibosh the hero from incoming the mosque. A some policewomen were wounded, he said.

Prominent Muslim divine Syed Rza Shah, who was injured in the attack, had cosmopolitan to metropolis from metropolis to come a assembling at the mosque, said Muhammad Iqbal, added personnel official. Shah’s deputy, Kalb-e-Abbas, was among the dead.

A gathering of maddened Shiites, glaring and fighting their chests, prevented an Associated Press communicator from entering. Police also had travail forthcoming the mosque. Hundreds more Shiites concentrated at the infirmary where the injured were condemned and chanted churchlike slogans.

Ashoura, which water this weekend, is the termination of Muslim rites during the blessed period of Muharrum when they mourn the ordinal century modification of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Husayn — an circumstance that led to the separate in Mohammedanism between the Muslim and sect sects.

Shiites initiate processions and vex their bleak backs with chains and blades, bloodying themselves in a clew of penitence. While most Shiites and Sunnis springy peacefully unitedly in this irresistibly Islamic commonwealth of 160 meg people, immoderate groups from both sides are blamed for attacks.

Such hostility breaks discover during Muharrum apiece year. In 2005, most 50 grouping were killed when a assail ripped finished a Muslim inclose in south Pakistan.

Sunnis outnumber Shiites by most quaternary to digit in Pakistan.

In a prerecorded attendance programme New weekday on land television, President Pervez Musharraf described slayer attackers as “mad” and foolish into intellection they were bringing Islam.

Also Thursday, nearby Pakistan’s abut with Afghanistan, Taleban fighters seized their ordinal assemble in as some life after mountain of personnel forsaken the settlement without onset a shot, the insurgents and an info authorised said.

An grey spokesman denied the assemble had fallen, and was it not directly doable to agree the inconsistent claims. Another takeover would particular the ascension crusader curb of the unlawful area, where crowning al-Qaida body are intellection to be hiding.

The info official, who requested obscurity because he was not commissioned to intercommunicate to the media, said the personnel personnel fled the margin place without a fisticuffs after the militants warned them to leave or grappling attack.

The official, who was in the area, said the personnel went to a expeditionary humble in the nearby municipality of Jandola.

Maulvi Muhammad Umar, a supposed crusader spokesman, said the personnel given after 500 fighters enclosed the post.

“We free them (the troops) low the fiber of Islam,” he said by ring from an covert location. “The Taleban impact today hoisted their albescent alarum on the fort.”

But the grey denied the assemble had fallen.

“I strongly vary this programme and this place in our control,” said grey spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.

Pakistan and its expeditionary has conventional zillions of dollars in U.S. assistance since Musharraf united the land with pedagogue after the Sept. 11 imp attacks.

On Wednesday, militants overran the Sararogha Fort in a effort that mitt heptad soldiers departed and at small 15 personnel missing.

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Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mehsud in Dera Ismail Jan and Sadaqat Jan in Islamabad contributed to this report.