Pakistan hit by attack on Christian colony and court bombing

Four terrorists trying to attack a Christian colony in Peshawar were killed during a stand-off with security forces earlier in the day, DawnNews reported.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban called Jamaat-ur-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack.

Among the at least 12 people killed were four lawyers and three police officers.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued statements condemning both attacks, saying that “these cowardly attacks can not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism”.

Pakistani volunteers carry an injured person arrived from Mardan, at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. “These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan”.

The group’s spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, promised more attacks in a statement sent to Reuters.

“We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts”.

The Pakistani army said it had prevented Isis from establishing a network in the country, with the arrest of more than 300 alleged sympathisers and members in recent years, including fighters from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bomber threw a hand grenade at security guards before storming into the compound of the district court in Mardan town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Faisal Shahzad said. The Jamaatul Ahrar (JA) claimed responsibility for the attacks.

He said that lawyers, policemen and passers-by were among those killed in the attack.

Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces.

The attack in Mardan’s district courts came hours later after security forces foiled a brazen attack in Peshawar’s Christian Colony, adjacent to Warsak Dam. Two solders, a policeman and two civilian security guards were wounded, it added. He said the attackers killed one Christian in the neighbourhood. General Asim Bajwa said that the authorities responded to the attack promptly.

The Pakistan army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb under U.S. pressure in 2014 in an effort to wipe out fighters and their bases in the North Waziristan tribal area.

4 militants have been killed.

This was second attack on Pakistan’s legal community within a month.

However, he acknowledged Pakistan still faced a tough fight.