'Outrage' expressed over Pakistani attacks

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "outrage" over an attack on members of the Shiite religious community in Pakistan.

Gunmen killed 22 members of Shiite community Thursday in Pakistan as they were returning from a Muslim festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ban, in a statement issued through his spokesman's office, expressed concern about religious violence in the country. In his statement, he expressed "his outrage over such deliberate attacks on people due to their religious beliefs in Pakistan."

Though Pakistan hosts one of the largest Shiite populations in the world, the majority of the population is Sunni.

The attack coincided with the Thursday storming by militants of the Minhas air force base, raising concerns about the security surrounding Pakistan's nuclear weapons arsenal. One Pakistani soldier was killed and eight militants died during the ensuing gun battle.

Islamabad said there wasn't any nuclear material at the site, however, and the U.S. State Department said it didn't have evidence to contradict their claims.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed condolences for the attacks on the Shiite pilgrims, saying Pakistanis have suffered "more than their share at the hands of terrorists inside Pakistan."