Assailants with guns and grenades have attacked two mosques in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 60 people.
The assaults on mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect wounded scores more in different residential neighbourhoods shortly after Friday prayers, police said.
Officers were involved in a gun battle with fighters outside one of the mosques in the city's Garhi Shahu district.
TV footage showed that one assailant appeared to have clambered atop the minaret of one of the mosques and to throw hand grenades.
"Terrorists have attacked mosques. They are firing and using grenades. They have taken people inside the mosque hostage," Muzhar Ahmed, a district civil defence official, told the AFP news agency from Garhi Shahu.
Daniyal Hassan, a reporter for the Pakistani Dawn News, near one of the attack sites, told Al Jazeera: "The worshipers were busy with their prayers and heard gunfire and some explosions which I believe were used as a diversion to scare away the security guards outside.
"The crossfire between police officials and attackers continued for about 30 to 45 minutes. The injured have been taken to hospital.
"It is a well coordinated attack."
Hassan said that the number of attackers was unknown.
Ahmadi Muslims have been targeted by Sunni groups and suffered discrimination in Pakistan in the past.
They call themselves Muslims but believe that Muhammad was not the final prophet.
This view contradicts a central Islamic belief.
Lahore is the second largest city in the country and a vital military and political centre. It has been the scene of several attacks by opposition groups.
