Summary Casualties and injured include women, children and Rangers personnel.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – At least 57 people were killed and several dozens injured as a result of the suspected suicide attack near Wagah Border area of Lahore. The casualties and injured include women, children and Rangers personnel, Dunya News reported.
Talking to Dunya News, Inspector General (IG) Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera said that this was a suicide attack as per his information. He also confirmed that as many as 57 casualties were verified and more than 60 were injured. However, Dunya News’ reporters have reported that the number of injured are more than 120.
The rescue teams reached the sight of the attack as soon as the news arrived and transported the dead bodies and injured to the nearest Ghurki Trust Hospital where they were being given initial treatment.
Reportedly, the injured were still being transported and the hospital facility was insufficient to cater to this many people.Therefore, many patients who do not need intensive care on an emergency basis, were being transferred to other hospitals.
The Rangers and law enforcement institutions have surrounded the area and security has been stepped up.Hundreds of people show up at Wagah Border to witness enthusiastic parade at the border with neighbouring India.Reportedly, the explosion took place just after the parade ended.
Emergency has been imposed in several hospitals. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has summoned a report of the incident.The explosion, which wounded more than 120, came at Wagah border gate near Lahore after the "flag-lowering" ceremony.
Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif expressed "grief and sorrow" over the attack in a statement issued by his office and ordered those responsible to be brought to justice.
Indian PM Narendra Modi condemned the "shocking" and "dastardly" attack. "My condolences to the families of the deceased. Prayers with the injured," he said in a tweet.
Tahir Javed, Punjab provincial commander of the Rangers paramilitary force, said three of his men had been killed in the blast, which came around 500 metres from the post itself.
"We were here to watch the parade and the blast took place, the moment we left the venue," Muhammad Imran, aged 12, told the media.
There were several conflicting claims of responsibility for the attack, reflecting the fragmentation, which the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) movement has undergone recently.
Abdullah Bahar, a spokesman for a TTP faction loyal to Hakimullah Mehsud, said they carried it out to avenge Mehsud’s killing in a US drone strike last year.
The Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction, which has separated itself from the main TTP faction, shunned the claim and said they were responsible for the blast.
Group spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said via email that the attack was revenge for those killed in the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan, adding that they would soon release video footage of the attack.
TV channels also ran claims from a third militant faction, called Jundullah.
R.P.S Jaswal, deputy inspector general of India’s Border Security Force, said their side of the border was secure, but security had been beefed up."A red alert has been issued keeping in view the blast across the border in ... Pakistan," Jaswal told the media.
