- DIG and SSP also martyred
LAHORE: At least 18 people, including senior police officers, were martyred Monday when a suicide bomber hit close to the Punjab Assembly in Lahore when hundreds of demonstrators had gathered for a protest, officials said.
The powerful explosion also left dozens injured, with reports of more than 70 wounded being treated at different hospitals in the eastern city of Lahore.
According to hospital officials, as many as 46 injured were brought to the Mayo hospital, while 28 injured were being treated at Mayo hospital.
According to Inspector General Punjab Police, 13 people were martyred in the suicide bombing. Deputy Commissioner Lahore confirmed that at least 73 people had been injured in the blast.
Police had cordoned off the area on Mall Road, one of the city’s main arteries, amid fears of a second blast as rescuers raced to the scene, with images of the injured being carried away shown by local media.
The incident occurred as hundreds of chemists protested a new law near the Punjab provincial assembly building, Rana Sanaullah, the provincial law minister confirmed. The law minister while appearing on Geo News programme Capital Talk said the attacker had been identified.
Chemists and owners of medical stores in Punjab had announced a demonstration near the Punjab Assembly building to protest the drug rules of the provincial government.
The powerful explosion hit when hundreds of protestors were present at the location.
CCPO Lahore Ameen Vaince confirmed that DIG, Capt Ahmed Mobin has been martyred in the incident.
Senior Superintendent of Police Zahid Gondal had also been martyred, officials and relatives confirmed. Family members have identified Gondal’s body.
A heavy contingent of police reached the site of the incident. Media representatives were also present at the site of protest when the explosion took place. The protesters were dispersed following the blast.
The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of DSNG vans and police mobiles parked nearby.
Up to 400 people had attended the protest, according to a reporter who was on the scene when the explosion occurred.
“Suddenly there was a bang and a huge blast,” he said. “Everybody ran for safety.”
Meanwhile, police said that security has been put on red alert in Islamabad.
The Inspector-General of Police Islamabad issued directives for the red alert, following which all routes going in and coming out of the federal capital were being strictly monitored.
Law enforcement personnel have arrested a suspicious person from near Charing Cross in Lahore, close to where the suicide bomber detonated his explosives. Meanwhile, banned terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul Ahrar has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to initial reports from law enforcers, the terrorists had planned to attack the Governor House in Lahore, which was immediately secured by security personnel following the blast.-Agencies
