JACOBABAD, May 9: Seven people were injured and a hotel was set on fire when two religious groups clashed over ownership of an old mosque on the Quaid-i-Azam Road here on Wednesday.

Rangers were deployed in different parts of the city to avert any untoward incident.

The mosque, built in pre-partition days, was lying closed.

The owner of the land around the mosque had sold the property a year ago, except the plot of the mosque.

The owner belonged to a particular sect; therefore, he had handed over the mosque to people of the sect. They reopened it about one week back.

Clashes began when a religious leader along with other members of his sect came out of the mosque after Zuhar prayers and were attacked by people belonging to the other sect.

Police resorted to baton charge and fired teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

The injured were identified as Banda Ali Soomro, Ashiq Pathan, Azadar Soomro, Hassan Raza Rahoojo, Imamuddin Shaikh, Tanvir Buriro and Sanaullah Soomro.

As the news of the clash spread some baton-wielding youths came to the bazaars and asked traders to close shops.

A procession was taken out on the main highway. The Quetta-Jacobabad road was blocked by the youths for about an hour.—Correspondent