Lahore, Pakistan, May 2, 2011 / 11:17 am
Christians in Pakistan are bracing for possible attacks after U.S. forces killed long sought-after terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, who was hiding in one of the country's northern cities.
“The situation is tense,” said Paul Bhatti, Pakistan's religious minorities adviser. “There are, in fact, strong reactions of unreasonable fear against Christian minorities. The government is paying close attention to preventive measures.”
Vatican-based Fides news reported that schools and Christian institutions in the country have been closed – and local churches guarded with high security measures – after a U.S. special forces military operation raided the summer residence of Osama bin Laden on May 1 in the city of Abbottabad, killing the Al Qaeda leader and several others.
Bin Laden is credited for the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that left nearly 3,000 Americans dead.