Alwaght- At least nine people have been killed and two dozens were injured in Pakistan's Lahore city after an explosion targeted a police checkpoint on Wednesday.
The blast took place around 8:45 am (local time) when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Gate number 2 of the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, where the police personnel were deployed for security, police said. Five police Personnel were among the victims of the suicide bombings and four more are at critical conditions.
“Police was the prime target in this attack. We are collecting forensic evidences to ascertain the nature of the blast. This attack has left nine dead and 24 injured,” said Ashfaq Khan, the deputy inspector general of police operations in Lahore
Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja said that the death toll may rise as some of the injured's condition is critical.
The blast near the shrine took place one day after the beginning of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Another main shrine, the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, Sindh Province, was the target of a bombing attack in February 2017 that killed over 70 people.
