Twin suicide bombings outside Christian churches in the Pakistani city of Lahore have killed at least 14 people and wounded nearly 70 others, authorities said.
Hospital officials said at least 30 of the wounded are in critical condition.
Witnesses said two gunmen tried to shoot their way into places of worship Sunday in a majority Christian suburb. When security guards stopped them at the gates, the attackers detonated explosives strapped to their bodies. The attacks happened minutes apart.
“The rescue operation is still underway and the death toll may increase,” rescue services spokesman Sajjad Hussain told Reuters.
Officials said a militant group allied to the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The violence outraged Christians who later took the streets to protest against what they said was authorities’ failure to protect them.
There were reports of protesters ransacking government property in the city and torching vehicles.
Police spokeswoman Nabila Ghazanfar told the French news agency AFP two policemen on guard duty had been killed in the attacks, and that two people were beaten to death by protesters that took to the streets after the blasts.
Some material for this report came from Reuters and AFP.
