Attack on Pakistani church kills 85 Christians

Two suicide bombers launched an attack outside a church in Pakistan Sunday, killing 85 people and wounding 140. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest assault on Pakistan’s Christian population in history. The bombing occurred in the city of Peshawar. Outraged Christians protested in the streets after the bombing.

According to The Daily Mail, the Taliban stated they would continue to attack non-Muslims until the U.S. stops drone attacks on Pakistan. The most recent U.S.-initiated drone strike on Pakistan was Sunday; missiles killed six suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal area.

The attack comes during a time when the Pakistani government has allegedly been trying to strike a peace treaty with the militants to end the insurgency that has plagued the country for the past decade. 

Christians comprise only 1.6 percent of the predominantly-Muslim population. A majority of these Christians reside in the poorest villages of Pakistan. 

The attack calls into question not only the alleged peace agreement being developed between the Pakistani government and militants, but also the U.S. drone attack policy – as the Pakistani Taliban has blamed U.S. strikes for its retaliation against minority groups in the country.