ISLAMIC STATE SUICIDE BOMBERS ATTACK PAKISTAN CHURCH, NINE DEAD, 44 INJURED
Methodist churches, schools recently received threats
ISLAMABAD: At least nine people were killed and 15 injured when heavily-armed terrorists struck a church in Pakistan’s restive Quetta city on Sunday.
Islamic State, in a brief statement on its Amaq news agency, claimed responsibility for the attack but provided no evidence for the claim.
The attack during the midday service at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church was a targeted assault on the minority Christian community just a week before Christmas.
Quetta police chief Moazam Ansari said 400 worshippers were present when the gunmen attempted to storm into the church. He said policemen assigned to the church’s security reacted in a timely manner and averted a much larger tragedy.
An eyewitness present inside the church said the attackers scuffled with the building’s guard when their attempt to enter the main hall undetected failed.
When the gunmen shot the guard, police officials posted around the church noticed something was amiss and opened fire at the attackers.
Balochistan home minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said: “One attacker was killed at the gate by police after an intense gunfight while the other wearing suicide vest entered the church and detonated his explosives,” he said.
The Bethel Memorial Church has been the target of a terrorist attack in the past.
Sources in the Balochistan government said Methodist schools and churches recently received threats from the Sajjan group of the Tehreek-e-taliban Pakistan.
Threats were also received in Karachi and Lahore, resulting in missionary schools cancelling their examinations and taking an early winter break.
TALIBAN ATTACKS AFGHAN COPS, 11 DEAD
At least 11 police officers were killed on Sunday when Taliban fighters assaulted their checkpoints in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, authorities said.
The insurgents launched the attacks in the Qalai Sang area of provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
“Our police fought them back, but unfortunately 11 of our police were martyred and two wounded,” provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat said, adding that the militants fled after the attack.