At Least 69 Killed by Suicide Blast in Pakistan’s Lahore

Lahore, 19 Jumadil Akhir 1437/28 March 2016 (MINA) – A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded park in Lahore on Sunday evening, killing at least 69 people and injuring 300 others, Salman Rafiq, health minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has said.

According to police, the bomber detonated his explosive-laden vest in a crowded area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, located in a northern district of Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city and the regional capital of Punjab province.

In a statement, Jamaat ul-Ahrar, a group affiliated with Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing — an unusual occurrence in an otherwise peaceful part of the country. The group’s spokesman, Ihsanullah Ihsan, said the target of the attack was an Easter celebration.

The injured, 25 of whom are in critical condition, included several women and children. Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

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Footage broadcast on local television channels showed rescue workers and concerned citizens loading the dead and injured onto ambulances.

The government, for its part, has declared a state of emergency at the city’s hospitals while doctors predict a dramatic rise in the current death toll.

Army chief presided over an emergency meeting after the blast, reportedly directing intelligence agencies to speed up efforts to dismantle the networks involved in the terrorist attack.

The premier has also cancelled a visit to the U.K. after the Lahore blast. He is expected to travel to the U.S. on Tuesday to participate in a nuclear security conference. (T/P001/R07)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)