- Title: PAKISTAN: GRENADE ATTACK ON PROTESTANT INTERNATIONAL CHURCH LEAVES FIVE DEAD
- Date: 18th March 2002
- Summary: (W4) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (MARCH 17, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF PROTESTANT INTERNATIONAL CHURCH; SLV DAMAGED FURNITURE INSIDE CHURCH; SCU RUBBLE SCATTERED ON THE FLOOR; SCU BLOOD SPLATTERED ON FLOOR AND WALLS; LAS SPLASHES OF BLOOD ON CHURCH CEILING; MV PAKISTANI SOLDIERS STANDING BY THE CHAIRS INSPECTING DAMAGE INSIDE CHURCH (8 SHOTS) 0.42 (W3) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (MARCH 17, 2002) (REUTERS) 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CINDY IRWIN, AMERICAN WHO WORKS FOR THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE MISSION, SAYING "I was over at the embassy; several of my colleagues are here. One of them I know is injured; I don't know about the others, they are not letting us in." 0.57 3. MV INJURED IN HOSPITAL CORRIDOR; SCU INJURED WITH LEGS BANDAGED WAITING ON STRETCHER IN CORRIDOR; MV INJURED GOING INTO HOSPITAL ROOM; MV INJURED IN HOSPITAL ROOM (11 SHOTS) 1.47 (W4) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (MARCH 17, 2002) (REUTERS) 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) KHALID RANJHA, LAW MINISTER, SAYING "There is no friction between Muslims and Christians. In the past fifty years there has been none. We do not have any differences between us. It is not a Christian/ Muslim divide as such. This is an incident which has occurred next to the American embassy, almost inside the American embassy" 2.13 5. SLV SOLDIERS AND POLICE OFFICERS ON DUTY OUTSIDE HOSPITAL (2 SHOTS) 2.20 (W5) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (MARCH 17, 2002) (REUTERS) 6. MV CHAMBERLANE ENTERS FOR NEWS STATEMENT 2.29 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WENDY CHAMBERLANE, U.S. AMBASSADOR SAYING "The attack this morning on the Protestant International church in Islamabad was a cowardly act that took the lives of five innocent people and injured many more while they were worshiping in a house of God. Among those killed were Barbara Green and her daughter, Kristin Wormsly, two members of the American embassy family in Islamabad. Two friends I admired, respected and I loved . I extend my condolences to their families, I honour them for their lives , the joy they brought to so many, for the credit and honour they brought to the United States. I also wish to extend my condolences to the families of the three other people killed in this senseless act. Among them a Pakistani citizen, a citizen of Afghanistan and another person not yet identified" 3.41 8. MV JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES (2 SHOTS) 3.51 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAMBERLANE SAYING "There is a hard lesson to be learned from today's tragic events. It is that President Bush and President Musharraf and other courageous men and women around the world were absolutely right to take on the terrorists where ever they are. To say to them: "No more", we will not give in to those driven by hate to those so cowardly that they throw explosives at innocent people in a house of worship. These terrorists will not win in the United States and they will not win in Pakistan and we will not let them win anywhere" 4.46 10. MV CHAMBERLANE LEAVES 4.52 KARACHI, PAKISTAN (MARCH 17, 2002) (REUTERS) 12. SLV/MV ARMED SECURITY OUTSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (2 SHOTS) 5.02 13. SLV EXTERIOR HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL, KARACHI; SLV INTERIOR CHURCH/ SERVICE; SLV PEOPLE COMING OUT OF CHURCH (5 SHOTS) 5.26 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BISHOP OF KARACHI RT REV. SADIQ DANIEL SAYING "I just heard this news this afternoon and people are very worried for that, its a very sad incident and at the same time we have sent a message around that people should keep calm and silent and we are with the government and we request the government of Pakistan to provide us security and as you see people are here .. they are taking all the security measures and we are thankful to the government." 5.57 15. MV SECURITY IN TOWN AND AROUND CHURCHES (2 SHOTS) 6.05 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd April 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVAAGK163HKHZ1AT6SS20JON0HTO
- Story Text: Five people, including two Americans, have been killed
in a grenade attack during a church service in the Pakistan
capital Islamabad and the US ambassador warned that what she
described as a "cowardly act" would not go unpunished.
The Protestant International church in Islamabad's
diplomatic quarter was packed with foreigners when an attacker
lobbed grenades during the Sunday service (March 17).
One American woman and her daughter were among the five
killed in the attack. It is believed one of the victims was a
teenager.
A Pakistani and an Afghan were also among the dead and the
nationality of the fifth person killed was not known.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility
Most of the 60 to 70 worshippers dived for cover as five
or six explosions ripped through the church when two attackers
threw the grenades inside the church.
Witnesses said there was a blast at the back of church and
then one man rushed up the aisle brandishing grenades and
shouting.
One German eyewitnesses described the scene inside the
church as "pandemonium". She said she threw herself under a
piano for shelter but that shrapnel flew into her leg causing
injury. "there was blood, blood, blood. It was horrific" she
told reporters.
Other witnesses said they heard five or six explosions
ripping through the church which then filled up it with smoke.
An American who works for the Evangelical Alliance
Mission, Cindy Irwin, said she was nearby and rushed over to
the scene when she heard "a huge boom, a very large blast".
"I was over at the Embassy. Several of my colleagues are
here. One of them I know is injured. I don't know about the
others- they are not letting us in," Cindy Irwin said.
At least 42 people were injured and rushed to Islamabad's
Federal hospital.
US ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlane visited them
soon after the attack.
Police suspect hard-line Islamic groups opposed to
President Pervez Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on
terror. Seven groups have been banned and hundreds of
activists detained.
Law minister Khalid Ranjha said the attack was a "message"
of some kind and may have been carried out to spoil Pakistan's
relations with their foreign friends and nations.
"There is no friction between Muslims and Christians. In
the past fifty years there has been none. We do not have any
differences between us. It is not a Christian/ Muslim divide
as such. This is an incident which has occurred next to the
American embassy, almost inside the American embassy," Ranjha
said.
Dozens of police and soldiers surrounded the church, in
the heavily guarded diplomatic compound about one kilometre
(half mile) from the US Embassy.
Islamabad Police said the attackers escaped despite the
presence of security guards at the scene.
Chamberlane named the two American victims as Barbara
Green and Kristin Wormsly, two people she said she had known
well from their work at the US embassy.
She described the grenade attack as cowardly and extended
her condolences to all five victims.
"The attack this morning on the Protestant International
church in Islamabad was a cowardly act that took the lives of
5 innocent people and injured many more while they were
worshiping in a house of God. Among those killed were Barbara
Green and her daughter, Kristin Wormsly, two members of the
American embassy family in Islamabad. Two friends I admired,
respected and I loved . I extend my condolences to their
families, I honour them for their lives , the joy they brought
to so many, for the credit and honour they brought to the
United States. I also wish to extend my condolences to the
families of the three other people killed in this senseless
act. Among them a Pakistani citizen, a citizen of Afghanistan
and another person not yet identified," Chamberlane said.
The ambassador said the attack would not go unpunished.
U.S. President George W. Bush also expressed outrage and
promised to help find those responsible.
"There is a hard lesson to be learned from today's tragic
events. It is that President Bush and President Musharraf and
other courageous men and women around the world were
absolutely right to take on the terrorists where ever they
are. To say to them: "No more", we will not give in to those
driven by hate to those so cowardly that they throw explosives
at innocent people in a house of worship. These terrorists
will not win in the United States and they will not win in
Pakistan and we will not let them win anywhere,"she said.
Police released a list of wounded as including 12
Pakistanis, 10 Americans, five Iranians, two Sri Lankans, one
Iraqi, one Ethiopian and a German.
Security was tight around christian churches in Karachi.
The Bishop of Karachi, the Rt. Reverend Sadiq Daniel, said
the church had appealed for calm amongst its community and
thanked the government for its swift response in protecting
his flock.
"I just heard this news this afternoon and people are
very worried for that, its a very sad incident and at the same
time we have sent a message around that people should keep
calm and silent and we are with the government and we request
the government of Pakistan to provide us security and as you
see people are here .. they are taking all the security
measures and we are thankful to the government," he said.
Sunday's attack follows the killing of 15 worshippers and
a police guard at St Dominic's church in the central city of
Bahawalpur in October -- the worst attack against the
country's Christian minority since independence from Britain
in 1947.
Largely Muslim Pakistan has suffered a surge in violence
between militants from the majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite
sects of Islam. Attacks on Christians and other minorities are
relatively rare.
This weekend sees the start of the Muslim year with the
beginning of the Islamic month of Moharram.
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