AP
Police officers stand guard in riot gear

Indian security forces are on high alert in the western state of Gujarat, amid ongoing sectarian violence that officials say has killed more than 250 people in three days of rioting.

Hundreds of government troops are patrolling the streets of Gujarat's largest city, Ahmedabad, where most of the deaths have been reported. A Hindu mob set fire to a Muslim shantytown on the outskirts of the city Friday, killing more than 50 people as they slept.

Elsewhere in Gujarat, pitched battles were reported between gangs of Hindus and Muslims. Much of the state is under a curfew, and authorities have issued shoot-on-sight orders to stop the violence. More than a 1,000 people have been arrested since clashes began Thursday.

Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes has been touring the riot-torn state, calling for an end to the violence in an area where Hindus and Muslims have lived side-by-side for many years. The riots erupted after Muslim militants set fire to a train on Wednesday, killing 58 mostly-Hindu activists.

Security forces braced for violence in other parts of India after the nationalist World Hindu Council called a nationwide strike for today. Some skirmishes were reported in Bombay, and rail traffic was disrupted by Hindus trying to enforce the strike.

The Indian Parliament adjourned briefly in New Delhi after arguments broke out between opposition and ruling coalition lawmakers about the handling of what is believed to be the worst sectarian violence in India in nearly a decade.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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