February 11, 2025
World

15 killed, 70 injured as two Lahore churches are bombed

 

 

Authorities in Pakistan said two suicide bombings outside Christian churches in the eastern city of Lahore have killed, at least, 15 people and wounded more than 70 others, and a militant gang al­lied to the outlawed Pakistani Tal­iban has claimed responsibility.

The bombings minutes apart targeted a Catholic and a Protes­tant church in a majority Chris­tian suburb, Youhanabad, where thousands of people had gathered for Sunday services.

Hospital officials said about 30 of those wounded in the attack are in critical condition. A senior La­hore police officer, Haider Ashraf, said two gunmen wearing suicide vests tried to shoot their way into the worship places.

“The suicide bombers tried to enter inside the buildings, but blew themselves up outside the churches because they were stopped by the concerned police people,” Ashraf said.

He added that one police officer was killed and several others sus­tained injuries while successfully preventing the bombers from en­tering the prayer halls, thereby limiting the damage.

An eyewitness spoke to report­ers shortly after the attack, saying she was buying things for her two sons who were inside the church when the attack occurred.

She said there were gunshots first, and then there was an explo­sion in front of the church gate. She said she found one of her sons, but her other child is still missing.

With nearly 1 million people, the Yuhanabad area has one of Pakistan’s largest Christian com­munities.

Outraged by the attacks, many Christians, who make up less than 2 percent of Pakistan’s population of more than 180 million, accuse the government of doing little to protect them, took to the streets in Lahore and other Pakistani cities to protest.

Witnesses said residents of Youhanabad lynched two men they suspected of involvement in the Sunday morning attacks.

Television footage showed pro­testers ransacking government property and torching vehicles, forcing riot police to shoot into the air to disperse the crowds.

Pope Francis told crowds at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican he felt “great pain” over the bomb at­tacks, departing from scripted re­marks in his customary address on Sunday. “These are Christian churches. Christians are perse­cuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians,” the pontiff said.

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