8 killed, 44 injured in Pakistan's church attack

Earlier, Bugti said that one of the attackers managed to enter the church and blew himself up.

Following the retaliatory fire from police, two of the attackers managed to run away from the site, the interior minister said, adding that the forces have cleared the church and are conducting clearance operation in nearby areas.

At the time of attack around 500 people were offering their prayers in the church.

A state of emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the city. Following the attack, rescue teams, security forces and police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the hospitals.

A high security alert has been declared in the Quetta district.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Razzaq said that if security forces had not acted in a timely manner, the number of causalities could have been more, and that it was a successful operation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned the attack and directed the authorities concerned to provide the best available medical treatment to the wounded people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.