The 2017 Quetta church attack took place on 17 December 2017 when armed militants and suicide bombers stormed the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in the western Pakistani city of

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of the ...

, killing nine people and injuring dozens more. The attack was perpetrated by the

Islamic State An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

, who claimed responsibility through its

Amaq Amaq News Agency ( ar, وكالة أعماق الإخبارية) is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq publishes news reports about claims of responsibility for terrorist attacks in Western countries. It is often the "first poi ...

media outlet.

Background

Christians make up less than two percent of Pakistan's population and are among the poorest and least influential group of Pakistani society. The community is regularly targeted by violence from religious extremists, notably the

Peshawar church bombing On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bombing took place at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which 127 people were killed and more than 250 injured. It was the deadliest attack on the Christian minority in the history of Pakistan. ...

in 2013 which saw more than 100 people killed, or the

Lahore church bombings On 15 March 2015, two explosions took place at Roman Catholicism in Pakistan, Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church during Sunday service in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan. At least 15 people were killed and seventy were wounded in the attacks. ...

in 2015 which killed nineteen.

, located in the restive southwestern Pakistani province of

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastl ...

is a majority Sunni region that has been a hotbed for much violence in the country. In November 2017, a Pakistani paramilitary convoy in Quetta was attacked by a suicide bomber, killing four.

Attack

On 17 December 2017 several hundred worshipers had gathered at the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church for Sunday service when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at the entrance of the church hall. A second suicide bomber attempted to detonate his explosive vest however he was unable to and a gunfire broke out between him and security forces. The attacker was eventually killed, ending the assault which left nine people dead and scores more injured. Shortly after the attack,

Amaq News Agency Amaq News Agency ( ar, وكالة أعماق الإخبارية) is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq publishes news reports about claims of responsibility for terrorist attacks in Western countries. It is often the "first poi ...

, the media arm of the Islamic State posted a statement on online claiming the attack had been carried out by the group.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quetta church attack 2017 murders in Pakistan 21st-century mass murder in Pakistan December 2017 crimes in Asia December 2017 events in Pakistan ISIL terrorist incidents in Pakistan Islamic terrorist incidents in 2017 Persecution by Muslims Persecution of Christians in Pakistan Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2017 Terrorist incidents in Quetta Mass murder in 2017 Attacks on religious buildings and structures in Pakistan Building bombings in Pakistan Church bombings by Islamists

Background

Attack

See also

References