Pakistan steps up security after IS kills 9 in church attack
Dec 18, 2017
Pakistani security forces on high alert day after suicide bombing that killed 9 at a church in Quetta
QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces were on high alert across the country on Monday after an Islamic State suicide attack on a church killed nine people, officials said.
The assault on Sunday in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, also wounded about 60 worshippers. It was the first attack on a church claimed by the IS affiliate in Pakistan.
A group funeral was held on Monday afternoon after a service by Bishop Sadiq Daniel at Quetta's Christian cemetery. Ministers, government officials and members of civil society groups attended the service.
Victor John grieved for his disabled daughter Maryam, 17, who was taken from him by "these terrorists." His daughter-in-law, Anita Bibi, was also at the church when the attack happened and said she tried to pull Maryam to the floor when the shooting started.
Then there was a loud boom, she recalled, and the hall was filled with smoke. "In a moment, the entire church turned into chaos," she said.
Commemorations were held across the country. In Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, Muslim and Christian leaders took part in joint special prayer services to remember the victims.
Baluchistan's provincial police chief, Moazzam Ansari, said security forces were trying to find those who orchestrated the attack.
About 400 worshippers were attending the service when two bombers carrying assault rifles stormed the church, triggering a gunbattle in which one assailant was killed by police guards and the other opened fire at worshippers and detonated his explosive vest.
A statement posted on the IS-run Aamaq news agency said two "martyrdom-seeking fighters clad in explosive vests and carrying machine guns and hand grenades attacked the church."
One of the attackers detonated his vest among the "Crusaders" while the other was killed while fighting "renegade Pakistani security forces," it said.
IS has claimed several attacks in Pakistan in recent years, though Islamabad denies the group's presence and claims it has no organized network in the country.
Prime Minister Shahif Khaqan Abbasi and army chief Gen. Qamer Javed Bajwa condemned the attack.
Naseem Masih, who was wounded in the assault, said one of the attackers reached the entrance of the prayer hall, where he opened fire before blowing himself up.
"We were praying when a bullet hit me," Masih said.
It was the first time IS claimed an attack on a church in Pakistan, though other Muslim extremist groups have targeted churches in the past.
The deadliest previous attack on a church was in September 2013, when twin suicide bomb blasts killed 85 people in Peshawar. Jundullah, or Army of God, then a little-known militant group, claimed responsibility.
In March 2015, two suicide bombers attacked two churches in the eastern city of Lahore, killing 15 people. The Pakistani Taliban claimed that attack.
___
Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
MORE NEWS
Asian Games 2026 Day 15 LIVE Updates: Kumkum Delivers Under Pressure, Knocks Out World No. 1 Kang
Asian Games 2026, October 3 Live Updates: Follow all the latest updates from the 15th day of the event with Indian contingent in action across nine sports.
US blast simulation targets China’s alleged secret nuclear testing
The US has conducted a non-nuclear underground experiment to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions that it explicitly linked with a test that Washington suspects China carried out in 2020 – an accusation Beijing denies. The US Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted a “subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive” experiment at the Nevada National Security Site, which it said aimed to “increase the...
In 1962, a spacecraft was launched by NASA to study Venus but a few moments later, the rocket went off course and was lost
A spacecraft, called Mariner 1, was NASA's first probe which planned to study Venus. A software error and a guidance control problem led to the loss of the spacecraft after it went off its intended path.
‘No retreat’: Key Trump ally urges continued US-China engagement on rare earths
US Republican Senator Steve Daines, a close aide to President Donald Trump and a key interlocutor between Washington and Beijing, has called on the two capitals to stay engaged and “not retreat” over differences on issues including rare earth supply chains. Daines told the South China Morning Post that both sides still had issues that predated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week and that they would continue working on them after the summit. “So that’s again why...
US man arrested over alleged $300 million scheme to smuggle Nvidia AI servers to China
Amid intensifying competition in the AI technology race, US authorities have arrested a California technology company owner accused of using Malaysia and Singapore as transit points to circumvent US export controls and send more than US$300 million worth of restricted computer servers to China. Greg Lui, 38, also known as Yiu Kong Lui, of San Gabriel, was arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to violate US export controls, outbound smuggling and conspiracy to commit money laundering,...
Brazil’s Lula hails ‘bold’ Chinese investors as rival pitches rare earths to Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva named China as a possible partner in his critical minerals plans, three days before Sunday’s closely fought election. Lula told Flow, one of the country’s most-watched podcasts, on Thursday evening that Brazil should stop shipping out raw ore. “We want to transform them here in Brazil,” he said of the minerals. Asked whether China fit into his plans, Lula said it could be a partner “bringing technology to us”, as could the United States. “[Donald]...
Quote of the day by Sean Connery: 'The key to a woman's heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.' Life lessons from inspirational quote on romance and attentiveness
Quote of the day by Sean Connery from Finding Forrester speaks about the importance of an unexpected gift. It is needed to show a person that you care about them. Romance and spontaneity are highly important in relationships.
Luigi Mangione arrest video: ‘That’s 100% him’ - newly released footage shows how police identified him at McDonald’s and what happened during his arrest
Luigi Mangione arrest video: Newly released body-camera footage shows the moments police identified Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania and took him into custody. The video captures officers questioning his identity, including the name on his ID, before showing what happened during his arrest and the search that followed at the station.
How to make sure your mailed ballot counts in US midterm elections: Mail it early because the postmark date may not match the day you dropped it in the mailbox
As the 2026 US midterm elections approach, it's crucial for voters to mail their ballots ahead of time to avert potential complications. Remember, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted. In California, ballots can be accepted up to seven days late if they are postmarked correctly. Voters are encouraged to track their ballots to confirm acceptance.