3 dead in firing in Pakistan's Rawalpindi

At least three people were killed in firing incidents in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi shortly after miscreants attacked a mosque and shops Friday evening, reports and police sources said. TV channels showed footage of thick smoke coming out of the mosque in busy Raja Bazar area of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. The incident took place when Shiite mourners were taking out processions on their route. Some witnesses said that several participants in the procession started firing in the air. Later people started firing from the rooftops of the buildings, residents said. Capital TV reported that army was called out to restore peace as the police had failed to deal with the miscreants. Some angry participants in the procession also beat press photographers and cameramen and broke their cameras. Angry mob also beat police officers who were deployed for security of the main procession on the 10th of Muharram, the holy Muslim month. Some reports said that the troops evacuated people from the mosque and shifted them to safe places.