NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
At least 18 Christians and a police constable were killed when gunmen opened fire in a Catholic church in Pakistan's Punjab province where over 100 worshippers had gathered for Sunday mass.
Six unidentified assailants on three motorcycles forced their way into the church after firing at the constable and sprayed bullets on the worshippers at St Dominic church in Bahawalpur.
The motorcyclists, carrying Klashnikov rifles, fled after the shooting, police said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The government has ordered tight security around all churches in the country.
President Pervez Musharraf condemned the attack saying Islam stood for peace and respected rights of all minorities.
He also ordered police and security officials to launch immediate investigations and apprehend the culprits.
The attack coincides with the arrival of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who reached Islamabad on Sunday morning on a working visit.
It also followed the visit of Pope John Paul II's special envoy, Archbishop Paul Joseph Cordes, to Pakistan on Saturday.
PTI
Tell us what you think of this report
