BAHAWALPUR, Oct 28: Sixteen Christians were killed and nine others were injured when four men opened fire on a church in Model Town-A here on Sunday morning. The dead included 12 members of a family.

The worshippers were about to complete their prayers at about 9am when, according to witnesses, four or five assailants entered the church after killing the constable on duty and resorted to indiscriminate fire. Eight people died on the spot while 16 others sustained injuries. The injured were taken to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital where seven of them were pronounced dead.

Those killed are Father Emanuel, constable Saleem Bhatti, Irum Javed, Kashif Javed, Jamshed Akhtar, Hina Jamshed, Waqas, Nelson Javed, Ghulam Masih Salik, Riffat, Urooj, Reema, Qandeel, Ambar, Ghulam Masih and Nargis.

The injured included Moaziz Masih, Krishma, Nemat, Khurram, Shamon Masih, Nauras Masih, Saira and Aleashbah.

Peter John, a district council member, told Dawn that the four bearded assailants first shot dead the constable on guard duty in his tent and then entered the church.

He said the assailants fled on motorcycles after completing their mission.

Furious members of the Christian community tried to attack the Saddar DSP who reached the spot along with a police contingent in plainclothes after the massacre.

COMPENSATION:Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Ghazi Mehmood and Minorities Affairs Minister S.A. Tressler visited Bahawalpur and condoled with the relatives and families of victims.