ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Two suicide bombers detonated explosives Sunday outside a historic church in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 75 people as they left worship services.
The bombing, the deadliest single attack on Christians that church leaders could recall in Pakistan’s 66-year history, sparked widespread protests and renewed concerns over the country’s ability to protect religious minorities.
The blast occurred outside All Saints Church, which dates to 1883 and is one of the oldest Christian churches in northwest Pakistan.
Security officials said the twin bombers blew themselves up near the gate of the church as more than 600 worshipers were leaving, scattering body parts and debris. Many of the dead were women and children, and at least 120 people were injured.
A splinter group affiliated with Pakistan’s Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack, saying it was in protest of U.S. drone strikes on Pakistani soil, possibly on Sunday.
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