15 Slain in Sectarian Violence in Punjab

Gunmen killed at least 15 people, most of them Shiite Muslims, in the central province of Punjab, police and witnesses said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but police said they appeared to be part of a bloody feud between rival militant groups from the majority Sunni and the minority Shiite sects of Islam. In the first attack, gunmen struck before dawn, killing six Shiites as they slept in a village. A few hours later, motorcyclists fired assault rifles at a crowded market, killing nine people. Police said they have arrested two people in the second shooting.