70 Dead In Mosque Attacks In Lahore

At least 70 are dead and around the same amount are wounded in a coordinated attack on mosques of a minority sect during Friday Prayer in Lahore, Islamabad Pakistan. This information was provided by the city coordinating officer.

The almost minute perfect timing of the two attacks took place at two mosques a few miles apart. The mosques are both part of the Ahmadi sect which pakistan does not recognise as part of Islam and is therefore discriminated against by Pakistani Law.

“Geo TV, a leading news channel in Pakistan, reported that members of the Punjab branch of the Pakistani Taliban were claiming responsibility for the attacks. The Punjab branch is composed mainly of formerly state-sponsored sectarian groups, including Lashkar-e-Jangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have joined forces with the Taliban.”

It took the police more than three hours to gain control of the situation at one point one of the attackers fired on the police from atop the buildings.

It is most probable that the assaults where organised by extremists whom had previously issued threats. This had been going on for the last two years. With nearly 2 million Ahmadis who are forbidden by law to engage in Muslim practices and a government that refuses to acknowledge their sect and this was a melting pot waiting to happen.