Twin suicide bombings at two Lahore churches killed at least 15 people, marking the second major attack on Pakistan's Christian minority in two years.
Key Facts
- Date
- 15 March 2015
- Deaths
- At least 15 people
- Wounded
- 70 people
- Churches targeted
- Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church
- Arrests
- 5 Tehreek-e-Taliban members arrested August 2015
- Neighbourhood
- Youhanabad, Lahore
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Members of Tehreek-e-Taliban, reportedly receiving financial and material support from India and having planned the operation in Afghanistan, targeted Pakistan's Christian minority during Sunday worship. The attack followed a pattern of sectarian violence, notably the 2013 All Saints Church bombing in Peshawar, the deadliest prior attack on Pakistani Christians.
On 15 March 2015, two explosions struck the Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church in Youhanabad, Lahore, while Sunday services were underway. At least 15 worshippers were killed and 70 were wounded in the coordinated bombings, which constituted a direct assault on the Christian minority community.
The bombings triggered mob violence in which two men were killed after being mistaken for militants. Five Tehreek-e-Taliban members were arrested in August 2015 and confessed to planning additional attacks in Karachi and Lahore, prompting heightened security concerns for religious minorities across Pakistan.