Pakistani Taliban Tuesday claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore, which martyred 15 Shia mourners, local media reported.
Police rescue said that the bomb attack also injured over 60 people, including women and children.
Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister of Punjab province of which Lahore is the capital, said that the bomber wanted to target a procession of Shiite Muslims but failed to approach the procession due to tight security measures. He said the bomber was in the age of 14 or 15. Dawn TV reported that Pakistani Taliban group claimed responsibility. Taliban militants have also targeted Shiite Muslims in Pakistan in the past.
Regional Police Officer Aslam Tarin said that four policemen were among those killed and several others were injured. The policemen were deployed for the security of the procession to the Shiite Muslims.
Tarin said that no one from the Shiite procession was injured as the participants had not yet arrived at the busy Urdu Bazaar.
Medical Superintendent at the city’s main Mayo Hospital, Dr Zahid, confirmed that 13 people were killed and 52 others were injured. He said that 15 injured are registered as critical. A woman was among those killed.
He said the bomber detonated his device after the police stopped him for checking, adding that there would be more casualties if the bomber succeeded to reach the procession. The minister said there had been intelligence reports about the bomb attack.
TV footage showed the police and people were shifting the injured to hospitals.
The police detained one person from the blast site and transferred him for questioning, police sources said.
The government had set up several check points and deployed hundreds of police men for the protection of the Shiite processions over threats.
The police officer Rana Fisal said that the blast took place at the first check point and the bomber could not approach the procession due to security cordon across the city.
Meanwhile a bomb blast in the port city of Karachi injured six persons including two policemen, the city’s police chief Fayyaz Leghari said. He said the bomb was attached to a motorcycle at Malir area.
The Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the suicide attack in Lahore resulting loss of precious human lives.
The Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to provide best medical treatment to the injured. He has also ordered an immediate inquiry to probe the attack.
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