Bomb Kills 9 During Mass in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh, JUNE 3, 2001 (Zenit.org).- A bomb exploded inside a Catholic church this morning during a Mass, killing at least nine people and wounding 13 others, the Associated Press reported police as saying.

The blast occurred at the Catholic Mission Church in Baniarchar, a village in the Gopalgani district about 96 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of the capital Dhaka.

Mohammed Faruq Jan, parliamentary representative of the Awami League in the Gopalganj district, initially reported four dead in the blast.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed condemned the bombing, which occurred in her home district.

The government attributed a series of recent bomb attacks to Muslim fundamentalists. This nation of 129 million is about 88% Muslim, and about 1% Christian.