A suicide blast outside Data Darbar killed at least 10 people and wounded 26 others on Wednesday, police said, in an attack claimed by the Taliban.
The blast occurred near the entrance gate for female visitors to the Sufi shrine. Husks of vehicles littered the pavement near the shrine as first responders rushed to the scene while armed security forces fanned out in the area. The emergency room at the Mayo Hospital was crowded with the wounded, and people searching for loved ones.
While talking to media, Punjab Inspector General of Police Capt (r) Arif Nawaz Khan said the incident was a suicide attack and that Elite Force van detailed to the security of the Data Darbar shrine was targeted. Senior police official Muhammad Ashfaq told a press conference that the security personnel at the shrine were targeted. Three police officials, two security guards and five civilians including a child were among the dead, he added.
The explosion took place at 8:45am in the morning. The impact of the blast shattered the windows in nearby vehicles and buildings, bystanders said.
Punjab Chief Minister’s Spokesperson Shahbaz Gill told reporters that the attacker was a 15-year-old boy. The teenager came out of a fruit shop, crossed over to the police van, and then detonated the bomb, he said. An initial probe revealed that the bomb contained seven kilograms of explosive material.
Police set up checkpoints on main thoroughfares leading to the shrine and hospitals were placed on alert following the blast. The shrine was immediately evacuated, with devotees moved out through exits away from the blast site. Entry to Data Darbar was also restricted. The site of the attack was cordoned off for rescue efforts and investigation.
A heavy contingent of police, Counter-Terrorism Department and forensic officials collected evidence from the site of the attack. All regional police officers and city police officers have been directed to examine security arrangements in their respective areas and remain alert throughout the month of Ramazan. IGP Arif Nawaz said police is posted near the shrine around the clock to provide security. He said authorities had maintained a general security alert, but there had been no specific warning about a threat to the shrine. He said the attacker could have caused more damage because of the direction he had approached from, but he instead made a beeline for the police car stationed in the area for protection of the shrine.
Lahore Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed told media that one of the bodies brought in to Mayo Hospital was that of the suspected attacker. “It was a suicide attack. Ball bearings were also used in the attack,” she told reporters.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar condemned the attack and ordered an inquiry into the incident, summoning reports from the Punjab IGP and the additional chief secretary of interior, according to a handout issued by the Punjab government. He also called a high-level meeting at the Punjab Safe City Headquarters and cancelled his scheduled visits to Bhakkar, Sargodha and Sheikhupura.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the loss of lives in the attack, expressing grief and condoling with the victims’ families for their loss.
In other violent incidents in the country on Wednesday, a police official was martyred after unidentified people fired at a security vehicle in Charsadda. The attack, which took place in the Tangi area of the district, martyred Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Muhabbat Khan. Two other police officials were injured in the attack. The attackers fled after firing on the vehicle. A search operation is underway in the area, said District Police Officer (DPO) Irfanullah. The injured policemen were shifted to a nearby hospital.
Separately, at least three people, including a tribal leader named Wali Khan Achakzai, were killed in a blast in Killa Abdullah, Levies forces said on Wednesday.
Achakzai was returning home from work when the blast occurred, Levies officials said, adding that two of his guards were also killed in the explosion while his car was completely destroyed.
It was not immediately clear if it was a targeted attack. The nature of the attack is being determined, Levies officials said.