By Muhammad Luqman
At least 25 persons including seven members of anti-riot police and a woman were killed and another 40 injured when a bomb exploded near abandoned Fruit and Vegetable market in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Monday afternoon.
According to Police officials, the gory incident took place when anti-encroachment team of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) was razing a building in the market that has been shifted to the peripheral area of Kahna Kachha a couple of years ago.
This is the first incident of terrorism in the eastern city of Pakistan after April 13 suicide blast in the central Lahore Charing cross square that had left 14 killed including a Deputy Inspector General of Police.
Monday’s attack took place less than a kilometer away from the Model Town residence of Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and just a few meters from Arfa IT Tower, the symbol of Pakistan’s technological advancements. These two places are generally considered very safe and secure.
The attack, which according to CCPO Lahore was a suicide blast, occurred at the entrance of the market on Ferozepur Road.
Following the incident, law enforcement agencies cordoned the area and began the investigation. A contingent of Pakistan Army also reached the blast site.
Lahore has been hit by significant militant attacks in country’s more than decade-long war on extremism, but they have been less frequent in recent years.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif , the chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and a number of politicians, have strongly condemned blast.
This is developing story
