Pakistan church bombing kills nine people

Two suicide bombers killed nine people and injured more than 50 others during a Sunday attack on a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta. Pastor Saimon Bashir Masih, a senior leader at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church, told Morning Star News about 400 people were inside the church when the attack began. Security forces guarding the church killed one of the attackers, while another set off explosives before entering the main prayer hall, Masih said. Quetta Police Chief Abdur Razzaq Chema said authorities are searching for two other suspects who fled the scene. Aqil Anjum, who was shot in his right arm, said he heard the explosion in the middle of the service followed by heavy gunfire. “It was chaos,” Anjum said. “Bullets were hitting people inside the closed hall.” Provincial Police Chief Moazzam Ansari said the security forces’ swift response prevented more casualties. Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack through its Aamaq news agency and said two of its “plungers” stormed the church. Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain and other senior officials condemned the attack.