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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadly Grenade Attack at Pakistani Hospital

Aired August 09, 2002 - 06:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A Christian hospital in Pakistan has been attacked with grenades. When the attack ended, four people were dead, several others injured.

Our Islamabad bureau chief Ash-har Quraishi joins us live by videophone with more.

So these bombers just went into the hospital and start throwing grenades?

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, that's the understanding right now, Carol. What we heard from the hospital officials a short time ago is that several men, either two or three men, approached the guardhouse. After scuffling with guards there, they entered the compound and lobbed two grenades at a crowd, staff members exiting the chapel services this morning just before 8:00 a.m. local time.

In that attack, three nurses were killed and at least 25 other staff members were injured.

Now, there were shoes strewn about and craters left when this attack occurred. Officials said that this is a predominantly Pakistani mission there just on the outskirts of Islamabad, and they don't understand why this occurred. Police are still looking into possible suspects right now. They have nobody in custody, and nobody has claimed responsibility yet.

But still, the investigation is continuing. This is the second attack in Pakistan against a Christian institution. On Monday, there was an attack against a Christian Murree school just outside of Islamabad as well, in which six people were killed and others were injured in that attack as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ash-har, if these are attacks that are targeting Christians, why target Christians and not perhaps Westerners?

QURAISHI: Well, just to give you some context now, since Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf joined the war on terrorism in October, there have been several attacks. There have been six attacks against Western targets, and this is the fourth attack against a Christian institution here in Pakistan.

So it's unclear what the motives of these people were. Right now, the government is saying that these people are the enemies of a clamp down on extremists. They are suspecting that these may be extremists, and we may expect some raids coming from the government in the next few hours and the next few days to try and gather up some people that may be suspects in this latest attack -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Ash-har Quraishi reporting live from Islamabad this morning -- thank you.

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