Security operation moved to north

The attack on a small church near the northern Punjab town of Taxila has resulted in the Punjab police shifting its focus from Lahore and the southern belt of the province to the north.

Three nurses and one of the terrorists died in the grenade attack on the Taxila church. As was the case in Muree only a few days earlier, the target again appeared to be Christians, both locals and foreigners.

While all the three nurses killed were Pakistani Christians, some Western missionaries were also known to visit the church to offer prayers.

Following the killing, during which one of the three gunmen apparently committed suicide by swallowing tablets after slipping in a puddle and coming close to capture, police say they now believe "the real threat lies in as yet untouched areas."

The deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Punjab, Javed Noor, admitted: "We have not yet focussed on these areas. The need to do so is quite urgent."

It would appear that following massive raids in Lahore, Karachi, Faislabad and other cities in the central Punjab, militants have opted to move their operations northwards.

Though the southern Punjab is seen as a region housing more militant groups, it is known that these organisations also recruit heavily in the impoverished northern Punjab belt. As Taxila lies not far from the NWFP, terrorists based in Peshawar can "also strike here."

Hundreds of schools, hospitals and other centres are run by Christians in the country, catering to all citizens. Traditionally, these have never faced a threat of any kind. The new situation means that schools, churches and hospitals, some in remote corners of the country, are at risk from armed militants.

Police say "security is being provided to such concerns," but admit that given their large number and the fact that they are widely scattered across the country, "this is not easy."

Christian leaders, such as Peter Gill, say that the "Christian community in the country is in panic for the first time and at present lives in a state of constant fear." He urged more measures to protect Christians and welfare institutions run by them.

Police say they believe the latest spate of killings come in "retaliation for the death sentence meted out to Omar Sheikh in Pearl murder case," and that these could be carried out by the Lashkar-e-Omar or groups linked to it.

Meanwhile, in Muree, where three of the gunmen believed to have carried out an attack on a local school were later said by police to have committed suicide, there is doubt about this.

Local Christian groups and others present in the area say the police version is inaccurate. People believe the killers were gunned down by police and the grenade explosion carried out to make it look like death by suicide.

They also maintain such acts can only prevent the detection of those behind such acts of terrorism, and can do nothing to solve the problem of militancy.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also been involved in the investigation of the last two attacks.