12 arrested in hunt for Pakistan church gunmen

Twelve men, identified as members of at least three different militant Islamic groups, were arrested today and were being questioned about the weekend attack on a church that killed 16 people.

Police Superintendent Arif Ikram said the all were held during ‘‘several’’ raids in different areas of Punjab province.

He would not immediately identify the men or the groups to which they belong. But authorities expressed confidence they were on the right track.

‘‘We have reached out for the necks of the culprits,’’ said Ijaz Shah, the home secretary of Punjab province.

‘‘They will soon be behind bars.’’

The gunmen burst into St Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church in Behawalpur, south-central Pakistan, on Sunday during services of the Church of Pakistan, a Protestant denomination.

The gunmen sprayed the congregation with gunfire and 16 people were killed, including the minister and a Muslim police officer guarding the church outside.

The newly appointed governor of Punjab province, Khalid Maqbool, has ordered police to make the attackers’ capture their top priority.

He visited Behawalpur yesterday after funeral services and assured Christians they had his full support and would be guaranteed protection.

The Church of Pakistan, which has about 800,000 members, was founded in 1970 and brings together Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and other Protestants.

Though St Dominic’s is a catholic church, Church of Pakistan members also held services there every Sunday and have something of a sister-congregation relationship with the parish.