Attack on Christian colony in Pakistan leaves 5 dead

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A group of militants attacked a Christian colony near Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar early Friday, triggering a shootout in which four attackers were killed and one Christian died, police and the military said. Three security officials and two civilian guards were wounded in the attack.

Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a statement that the attack was quickly repulsed and that security forces were searching for any accomplices of the attackers.

Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif praised security forces for foiling the attack.

Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony and one of them went into a church but no one was there at the time. He said they killed one Christian in the colony.

He said a quick response from the local civilian guards and security forces prevented more deaths.

No one claimed responsibility but the attack came a day after the military said it foiled a bid by the Islamic State group to expand its network into this predominantly Muslim country, with the military arresting 309 suspects, including IS members from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

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