Police guards at the church exchanged fire with the attackers before they could enter the main sanctuary, said provincial police chief Moazzam Jah. “There were nearly 400 people inside the church, but the attackers couldn’t get inside the services,” Jah said. Jah said the venue – Bethel Memorial Methodist Church – was on high alert as Christian places of worship were often targeted by Islamist extremist over Christmas. Pakistan has launched several military offensives over the last decade against the Islamist militants who want to install their own harsh brand of religion. Early this month, three Taliban suicide bombers attacked an agriculture college in northwestern Peshawar city, killing eight students and a guard.

Source: Egypt Independent December 17, 2017 10:52 UTC