islamabad - At least eight people were killed Friday and 15 more injured when unidentified gunmen attacked a local cricket ground in south-western Pakistan, police said.
The attack took place in a suburb of Quetta city, the capital of Baluchistan province, which has seen increasingly violent ethnic clashes.
After bursting into the ground in two vehicles, the attackers 'first fired rockets and then opened fire at the people with assault rifles,' police officer Hamid Shakeel told the German Press Agency dpa.
'Eight people have died while 15 more injured in the attack so far,' Shakeel said. The victims included both spectators and players of the informal match that was in progress.
Witness Raza Hamid was quoted by Dunya television broadcaster as saying that the attack was carried out by 12 to 15 men and lasted for 25 minutes.
The motive was not clear. All those killed belonged to the predominately Shiite Hazara community, which has come under attack from Sunni extremists.
The Hazara have also been targeted by ethnic Baluch tribesmen, who frequently attack other ethnic groups in their fight for more autonomy for the province and a greater stake in its natural resources.
