Sectarian violence in Pakistan refers to attacks and counter-attacks against people and places in Pakistan motivated by antagonism toward the target's sect, usually a religious extremist group. Targets in Pakistan include the Shia, Barelvis, Sunnis, Sufis, Ahmadis, and small groups of Deobandis. As many as 4,000 people are estimated to have been killed by Shia-Sunni sectarian attacks in Pakistan between 1987–2007. And since 2008, thousands of Shia have been killed by Sunni extremists according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). One significant aspect of the attacks in Pakistan is that militants often target Sunni and Shia worshipping places during prayers in order to maximize fatalities and to "emphasize the religious dimensions of their attack".Human Rights Watch also states that in 2011 and 20