for a grenade attack in the International Protestant Church of the capital Islamabad, that killed 5 and wounded 45 other worshippers on Sunday March 17. He also scheduled a high-level security meeting for Tuesday, March 19, to discuss safety measures around the church and other installations.
HIGH ALERT
Diplomatic missions and other foreign interests across Pakistan remained on high alert Monday March 17, as United States Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca cut short a visit to India and headed to Islamabad.
The Voice of America (VOA) said that Rocca was expected to accompany the bodies of two American victims, the wife of a US diplomat and their 17 year old daughter, back to the United States. The dead also include an Afghan, a Pakistani and a fifth unidentified victim, possibly the attacker.
Earlier President George W. Bush expressed outrage and condemned the killings in a house of worship as "acts of murder that cannot be justified or tolerated." He added that US officials will work closely with Pakistan to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
DIPLOMATIC FAMILIES
The Protestant International Church is attended by diplomatic families from about a dozen countries, VOA reported. Witnesses said that about 70 worshippers were listening to a sermon in the church when a lone attacker entered, began shouting, and then started throwing grenades.
Sunday, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said church officials had recently stopped Pakistani security forces from searching people entering the church, after church-goers complained of being inconvenienced.
It is not clear what security was in place at or near the church when the attack occurred. Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider told reporters Sunday March 17 that church officials had recently stopped Pakistani security forces from searching people entering the church, after worshippers "complained of being inconvenienced."
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Pakistani police officials and analysts have linked the incident to terrorists opposing the American led war against terror.
