Canada condemns bomb attack on Pakistani church

Canada condemned the attacks that killed nearly 80 parishoners leaving a historic Anglican church in Pakistan Sunday. According to Reuters, two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the 130-year-old All Saints Church in Peshawar after mass had ended. “We are deeply concerned by the violent disregard of extremists in Pakistan for the right of all religious communities to practise their faith in peace and security," Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Andrew Bennett, Canada’s ambassador for Religious Freedom, said in a joint statement. "This was an act of cowardly violence that brutally targeted innocent worshippers. “Canada calls on Pakistani authorities to bring these perpetrators to justice and to protect those who seek to worship in peace, free from fear and intimidation." The Taliban-linked militant group TTP Jundullah claimed responsibility within hours of the attack. "They are the enemies of Islam, therefore we target them," said the group's spokesman, Ahmed Marwat. "We will continue our attacks on non-Muslims on Pakistani land."