14 worshippers killed in Pakistan church bombings

At least 14 people have been killed and injured dozens more after two explosions targeted two churches in the Pakistani city of Lahore, police said.

Jammat-ur-Ahrar, a Taliban Pakistani splinter group claimed responsibility for the attacks during Sunday services, which occurred minutes apart in a majority Christian suburb of the eastern city. Police said that two churches, one Catholic and one Protestant, are very close to each other.

The group appeared to have timed the attacks to cause maximum devastation, as the two churches were packed with at least 500 people attending Sunday services when the bombs went off. A spokesman for the faction said it was the work of two suicide bombers.

One unidentified witness told Pakistan's Geo television that one bomber exploded himself near a gate, while another bomb exploded amidst the ensuing chaos.

The attack sparked widespread protests in the city, and residents burned to death one person they believed was involved in the attack and killed another. Protesters also beat up police officers and attacked a bus station, while protests were reported in other parts of the country in protest at the government’s lack of protection.

Many Christians, who make up less than 2% of Pakistan’s population, accuse the government of doing little to protect them, saying politicians are quick to offer condolences after an attack but slow to improve security.

Local television footage showed an angry crowd beating a person they thought was connected to the attack, while others attacked buses in the city.

“The Tehreek-e-Taliban Jamaat-ur-Ahrar accepts responsibility for the suicide attacks on the churches in Lahore,” Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for the Taliban faction, said in a statement emailed to reporters.

“We promise that until an Islamic system is put into place in Pakistan such attacks will continue. If Pakistan's rulers think they can stop us, they should try to do so,” the statement added.

Pope Francis has condemned the attacks, telling crowds in St Peter’s Square that he felt great pain at the news. “These are Christian churches. Christians are persecuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians,” he said.