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CNN Sunday Morning

Two Americans Dead in Church Attack in Pakistan

Aired March 17, 2002 - 08:06   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention now to that church attack in Pakistan. Two Americans are among the dead. Our Islamabad Bureau Chief, Ash-har Quraishi, joins us now live via video phone from Islamabad with the latest -- Ash-har.

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Miles, like you mentioned, this attack on the church here in Islamabad occurred just before 11:00 AM local time here in Islamabad some five hours ago, in what is considered the heart of the diplomatic community here in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

The Protestant International Church, where many diplomats, many foreigners go to offer services, this morning two men, according to authorities, entered that church while services were being conducted and lobbed grenades inside that church. Two of which detonated inside the church, injuring some 44 people and killing five. Of those five, according to the Pakistani federal health minister, two are American citizens, including one woman and her 17-year-old daughter.

We also understand that one Pakistani national, one Afghan national, were also killed in this attack. The identity of the fifth person that was killed is not yet known at this point. Investigators, though, are looking into this. They've cornered off the area around the church. They've involved agencies from the embassy, as well as the government here in Pakistan.

Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, issuing a statement offering condolences to those, or families of those, that were killed and those that were injured in this attack, saying that -- calling the perpetrators of this attack terrorists, trying to undermine what Pakistan is trying to do here -- a crackdown on militants that the president had announced in January of this year.

Now a short time ago, we were allowed to go inside the church to see what kind of damage had been down there. What we saw inside the church, broken glass, shattered glass all over. Blood on the floors, on the curtains, inside the church where the two grenades are believed to have detonated. Blood on the ceiling of that church, some 30 feet in the air. That blood reaching there.

So a gruesome scene here in the capital of Islamabad. Something that government officials say they haven't seen before in this capital -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Ash-har Quraishi in Islamabad, thank you very much for being with us.

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