SIALKOT, Dec 26: The three girls who died in a grenade attack on a church at Chianwali in Daska on Wednesday night, were laid to rest on Thursday. Another 16 people were injured in the same attack.

More than 100 people, including women and children, were praying in the Presbyterian Church when two burqa- clad terrorists threw as many hand-grenades into the church.

Shumaila Masih, 8, and Najma, 2, died on the spot. Razia, 13, succumbed to injuries at the Rural Health Centre in Satrah due to non-availability of first-aid.

The injured included Nasreen, 30, Sana, 12, Shazia, 17, Misbah, 10, Nanhi, 11, Auksan, 40, Alisha, Asmat, Afzal, Yaqoob, Angat Masih, Aslam and Parveen. The injured were admitted to hospitals in Lahore and Gujranwala.

Later, the police and the law-enforcement agencies sealed the badly-damaged church.

No policeman was on duty outside the church at the time of the attack.

Witnesses told the police that terrorists fled on a motorcycle which was without a number plate.

Christians have alleged that the banned Jaish-i-Mohammad’s Qari Mohammad Afzal and his two sons were involved in the terrorist act.

Joseph Hakim, an MPA, and Father Tariq Isaac alleged that Qari Afzal and his accomplices had also attacked the church some three months ago and threatened the local community with dire consequences.

The matter was brought to the notice of Satrah police, but they did nothing except giving a warning to Qari Afzal who runs a Madressah in the village.

The Satrah police have arrested four suspects, including Qari Afzal and his two sons, after registering a case against them under sections 34, 109, 302 and 324 of the PPC and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The regional security officer at the US consulate in Lahore, Thomas Cage, and MPAs Ansar Iqbal Baryar, Mumtaz Ali and Muhammad Rizwan visited the spot and expressed solidarity with the Christians.

They said they would raise the atter in parliament for providing security to the Christian community.

The Punjab Inspector-General of Police, Syed Masood Shah, also visited Chianwali and suspended Satrah SHO Tahir Farooq Cheema, sub-inspector Shaukat and constable Shahnawaz for negligence.

He visited the DHQ hospital of Gujranwala to inquire after the injured and announced compensation of Rs150,000 each to the families of those killed in the attack and Rs50,000 to the injured.

The IG told a Christian delegation that all steps would be taken for their security.

Talking to newsmen, he said that four suspects had been taken into custody and two teams constituted to investigate the incident.

The police chief said he would quit if he failed to maintain law and order in the province.