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CNN Sunday Morning

Authorities Investigate Deadly Grenade Attack in Pakistan

Aired March 17, 2002 - 09:03   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, where authorities are investigating a deadly grenade attack today on a church near the U.S. embassy. An American woman and her teenage daughter are among those who have been killed. With the latest now, we turn to CNN Islamabad Bureau Chief Ash-har Quaraishi with the latest. Ash-har.

ASH-HAR QUARAISHA, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Kyra, government officials tonight calling this attack unprecedented in the capitol of Pakistan of Islamabad, saying that this city is considered extremely safe. The area in which the church was located was actually very, very safe, in the diplomatic enclave, very close to the U.S. Embassy today, not so safe.

Just before 11:00 a.m. two men entered the church, the Protestant International Church, and through several grenades at parishioners in the church that were observing Sunday services. Now of those grenades, two are believed to have detonated inside the church, injuring some 44 people and killing five, including those two Americans that you just mentioned, Kyra.

Now at this point, investigators say that nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. It's something that authorities and government officials say that they've never seen before in Islamabad, but security is a question now. Considering that this church was located in the diplomatic enclave, questions arising now as to how secure this church was, considering that there were three entrances to the church, of which there was only one guard at that church this morning.

Other things that we're hearing from officials, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf offering his condolences to the families of those killed, as well as the injured in this attack, saying that those who perpetrated this act were no friends of Pakistan and calling this a terrorist act.

He has launched an effort for local agencies here to coordinate the manhunt for these two men believed to be involved in this attack, but so far they have no idea as to who may be behind the act and what their motives may be. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ash-har Quraishi, thank you.

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