Pak bomb aimed at Shia Muslims, kills 12

Parachinar:  A minibus carrying Shia Muslims hit a roadside bomb in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 12 of them in the country's latest apparent sectarian attack.The incident took place shortly after the victims left Spai, a predominantly Shia village in the Orakzai tribal area, said local government official Jamil Khan. They were headed for the nearby district of Kohat, he said.[caption id="attachment_381377" align="alignleft" width="380"] Sectarian violence. AP[/caption]Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state, and most Sunnis and Shias live peacefully together. But the country has a long history of sectarian attacks by extremists on both sides.Attacks by Sunni militants on Shias have been on the rise over the last year, especially in southwestern Baluchistan province.The Sunni-Shia schism over the true heir to Islam's Prophet Muhammad dates back to the seventh century.AP