Twin suicide bombers attack Peshawar St. John church

Twin suicide bombers attack Peshawar  St. John church in Pakistan, 56 killed

Peshawar: Two suicide bombers blew themselves outside a church in Pakistan’s Peshawar killing 56 people and injuring dozens, reports said Sunday. 

The suicide attack targeted St. John’s church in Peshawar’s Kohati gate area as Sunday services came to an end. 

According to Commissioner of Peshawar Sahibzada Muhammad Anis, the attack took place when worshippers were coming out of the church after Sunday Mass. 

The commissioner added that 600-700 people were inside the church at the time of the attack. 

Those injured have been rushed to the nearby hospital and more doctors have been called to the respond to the patients. 

The intensity of the blast was such that the windows of the nearby buildings were shattered. 

The police has cordoned off the area and the bomb disposal squad has also reached to the site.

The church is situated in a very congested locality which is always jam packed with the people mostly women as the area is the hub markets and shopping centres. The Christian community lives in the vicinity and visited the church for Sunday service in large number. 

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but radical Islamists have been blamed for previous attacks on the country's minority communities, including Christians. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions. 

He said such cruel acts of terrorism reflect the brutality and inhumane mind set of the terrorists.