Sunni suspects held in Pakistan

Police in the Pakistani province of Balochistan have arrested six suspected members of an outlawed group wanted for attacks against Shia Muslims.

Those arrested are suspected of being members of the militant Sunni group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The arrests took place in raids on homes in the town of Dera Murad Jamali, about 300km (185 miles) from Quetta.

Around 100 people were killed in two suicide attacks on Shias in March last year and in July 2003.

Police Inspector General Chaudhry Yaqub said that the Anti Terrorist Force (ATF) carried out the arrests.

But he said that the most wanted suspects escaped before the ATF raided, and the six captured men are still being interrogated.

Mr Yaqub said so far police have failed to find any incriminating evidence from them.

PAKISTAN'S SECTARIAN DIVIDE Shias revere Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed Pakistan is 20% Shia, 70% Sunni Violence between Sunni and Shia factions began in early 1980s More than 150 people have died in the past year alone About 4,000 people have been killed in total Most violence takes place in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab Pakistan's schisms

Sectarian violence is a major concern in Pakistan - more than 4,000 people have died in Shia-Sunni clashes since 1980.

The BBC's Azizullah Khan in the provincial capital, Quetta, says that the Balochistan government has recently beefed up security.

Our correspondent says evidence of that is especially clear in Quetta, where police have announced that security cameras would be installed and searches carried out on people entering the sensitive areas during peak days of the Shia Muharam festival in March.

Mr Khan said that the army and paramilitary forces were also on alert for the ceremony which begins on March 7.

Shias make up 20% of Pakistan's predominantly Muslim population.