Two men walked into a Protestant church during the sermon on Sunday in one of the most heavily guarded areas in Islamabad in Pakistan and threw several grenades. Five people died, including an American embassy employee and her daughter.
At least 40 people were injured, many critically, most of them foreigners.
The blasts sundered bodies of worshippers, and blood stained the ceiling at least 40 feet above the floor in the simple hall where the worshippers had just finished singing ``This is Holy Ground.''
A man's black shoe lay by the long table where coffee cups were stacked awaiting the post-service congregants.
This was the most deadly attack in which American civilians were killed since Sept. 11.
There has been a surge of sectarian killings of Shia doctors in recent weeks in Karachi, Pakistan, long know as a city with considerable crime and violence. The American journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi in January and then killed.
On Friday, the Karachi police advised the American Embassy that ``elements connected to the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl are considering kidnapping more American citizens,'' the embassy said in a public warning. The embassy urged Americans to increase their security, and to travel in groups.
The attack in Islamabad today occurred at the Protestant International Church, a nondenominational church in the diplomatic enclave here, 400 yards from the sprawling American Embassy compound, where glistening razor wire coils along the top of brick walls.
``The attack this morning on worshipers in Islamabad was a cowardly act that took the lives of five innocent people and injured many more while they were worshipping,'' the American ambassador here, Wendy Chamberlain, said this evening.
``There is a hard lesson to be drawn from today's tragic event,'' she said, in a brief appearance, marked by emotion and resolve. President Bush and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan ``were absolutely right to take on the terrorists no matter where they are,'' she went on. ``To say to them: no more. We will not give in to those driven by hate, to those so cowardly they throw explosives at innocent people in a house of worship.''
No group claimed responsibility for this morning's attack, and the police had few clues. The grenades were Russian-made, but that offers little insight, because in parts of this country, grenades and automatic rifles are as readily available as bananas in the market. It is possible that one of attackers was killed, police said.
The Americans killed were Barbara Green and her daughter, Kristen Wormsley, a high school senior. Mrs. Green was an employee in the human resources center at the embassy. Her husband was a diplomat, Milton Green, director of the computer section at the embassy. He and their young son were also injured, but not seriously, American embassy officials said here this evening.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the spouses and children of American diplomats had been sent home. They had only been allowed to return six weeks ago. Mrs. Green had left with the children and had returned last month.
One of those killed was a Pakistani citizen, another Afghani. The fifth victim has not been identified, and police said it might be one of the attackers. He will be hard to identify because just about all of his body between his neck and his knees was blown away, police said.
``It's a miracle'' that only five were killed, said a German aid worker who was one of those spared. Altogether 13 Americans were injured. Citizens of at least nine other countries were among the injured.
The church was only about half full, with 60-70 worshipers. Many diplomats and foreign aid workers have still not returned to the country.
It was not clear whether the attack was aimed at Americans, foreigners more broadly, or Christians. While this nation has been riven by sectarian violence, it has been between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Attacks on Christians, who make up less than 5 percent of the population, have been rare. Last Oct, 15, though, worshipers were killed when attackers opened fire in a church in Bahawalpur.
``It is a terrorist attack designed to embarrass the government,'' said the Islamabad police chief, Nasir Khan Durrani.
Along with siding with the United States in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, General Musharraf has been carrying out his own war against domestic terrorists. He has banned several militant organizations, and the police have rounded up several hundred suspected terrorists.
In recent days, diplomats and Pakistani intelligence officials have expressed the fear that the banned groups were putting their operations back together and further terrorist attacks were likely.
This morning's attack suggests that no degree of caution may be enough.
Islamabad is one of the most tranquil cities in Asia. It is a created city, to be the capital, with broad leafy boulevards and expensive homes. Killings are not unheard of, but rare.
Add to that the increased security at the diplomatic enclave. There are several police checkpoints on the road lined by the embassies. Cars have to slow down, and weave around barriers. A car bombing would be difficult to pull off, but the search of individuals is cursory at best.
Moreover, one side of the enclave abuts acres of open forested area, where today men could be seen attending to cattle. It would have been easy for today's attackers to have walked through the field.
Solid information about the attack was hard to come by, with differing reports about the number of attackers and the number of grenades.
``There were four, five blasts, one at the back that alerted us all,'' said Nicholas Parham, who works with a British aid agency, Tearfund. ``Then he ran up the center aisle just past where I was,'' he said about the attacker that he saw.
He said the man had one grenade in his hand and several grenades on his belt. ``I didn't know whether he was going to blow himself up,'' Mr, Parham said. ``I hit the deck, and then there was another blast.''
The glass was blown out of every window and huge holes were punched in the ceiling. Blood soaked the floor throughout the room, about 80 feet by 80 feet.
The injured were taken to the Federal Government Services Hospital, a rundown facility with grimy walls and soiled sheets. Beefy American security personnel in civilian clothes were on guard in the dingy halls, as special American medical teams operated on the American casualties.
A body lay on a rickety metal trolley, covered by a sheet. A man came in, pulled back the sheet slightly, looked at the face, then sat down put his head in his hands and began to sob.
An American woman in a maroon baseball cap walked over to comfort him.
``We couldn't see anything, it happened so fast,'' said a German man at the hospital. ``There were torn bodies, parts of bodies, lying around.'' He had trouble hearing a reporter's question. ``Our ears are blocked,'' he said, from the blast, putting his hands to the side of his head.
``I wasn't there, I was lucky,'' said a Swiss man, walking the hospital halls in a daze. He normally attends services at the church, but he had just arrived from Europe and was still jet lagged.
After today's attacks, the embassy urged Americans to stay in their homes, and to avoid public places if they did go out.
In her statement this evening, Ms. Chamberlain declined to take questions but left no doubt the resolve of the United States to remain.
(China Daily March 18, 2002)
