Unsolved case · 2013
Also known as September 2013 Pakistan bombing · All Saints Church bombing
The short answer
On 22 September 2013, two suicide bombers attacked All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 127 people and injuring more than 250 in the deadliest attack on Pakistan's Christian minority.
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Suggest coverage for Peshawar church bombingOn 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bombing occurred at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan. 127 people were killed and more than 250 were injured, making it the deadliest attack on the Christian minority in Pakistan's history.
The attack unfolded when two suicide bombers first shot two security guards at the church, killing one and injuring the other. When police intervened, one of the bombers detonated his device. The second bomber then entered the church itself and detonated his bomb inside. A separate account indicates the blast occurred as worshippers had gathered for a free meal of rice near the church's front lawn. The force of the explosions left holes in the church walls and shattered windows in nearby buildings. The bodies of the attackers were identified and sent for forensic examination; their suicide vests reportedly contained 6 kilograms (13 lb) of explosives each.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Jundallah, a group linked to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group stated that attacks on Christians and other non-Muslims would continue, describing them as enemies of Islam, and said the violence would not stop until United States drone strikes in Pakistan ceased. However, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan itself denied any involvement in the bombing and denied having ties to the perpetrators, stating that its actual affiliate group was called Jundul Hafsa, not Jundallah.
In the aftermath, Christians living near the church took to the streets in protest, burning tires and shouting slogans. Many shops closed in the Kohati Gate area, home to several other churches in Peshawar. Protest rallies were also held in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and other Pakistani cities condemning the killings, and clashes were reported between protesters and police in Karachi. Pakistani Christian communities expressed concern over what they described as a deteriorating future for Christians in the country, noting the bombing came amid a series of recent attacks, including an earlier episode in March 2013 in which hundreds of Christians faced persecution by Islamic hardliners over blasphemy allegations.
Then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack, stating that terrorists have no religion and that targeting innocent people runs contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Twin suicide bombing occurs at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 127 people and injuring more than 250.
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