Twin blasts kill 45 in Pakistan
10 soldiers dead in attacks targeting the military; Taliban claims responsibility
Terrorists on Friday struck Pakistan’s heartland of Punjab targeting the military as a pair of Taliban suicide bombers detonated their explosives seconds apart in the heavily-guarded cantonment area here, killing at least 45 people, including 10 soldiers, and injuring over 100 others.
In the second major attack in the city within a week, the bombers, who were on foot, hit vehicles of the Garrison Security Force patrolling the cantonment near a mosque in the busy R A Bazar area at 12.48 pm local time. An unidentified caller claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan while talking to Geo News channel.
Friday’s attack came four days after the suicide car bombing of a special investigation unit in Lahore, which too was carried out by the Taliban.
“Two suicide attackers struck the army vehicles which were on patrol. The blasts occurred 15 seconds apart,” said Special Superintendent of Police (operations) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmed.
Forty-five people were killed and over 100 others injured in the attack, state-run Rescue 1122 service spokesman Fahim Jahanzeb said.
Lahore police chief Pervez Rathore said at least 10 soldiers were among the dead. “We have found the heads of both suicide bombers,” said SSP Ahmed.
The area where the attacks occurred is full of residential and commercial complexes and also houses several security agency facilities. Within minutes of the explosions, it was swarmed with security personnel who stopped even media, including TV crew, from approaching the site of the blasts.
Young bombers
The bombers were aged between 17 and 20 years. One head was intact while the features of the other were not recognisable.
The blasts occurred near a mosque where a large number of people had gathered for Friday prayers. The mosque is frequented by serving and retired army personnel, locals said.
Eyewitness Adnan Shah said he was on his way to offer the Friday prayers at Ahmed Bakhsh Road when the blast occurred. “Even before I could recover my senses, there was another bang and I fell unconscious,” said Shah.
Army commandos and military police cordoned off the area and put up curtains around the site of the blasts.
Army helicopters conducted surveillance of the area. Ambulances removed bodies and the injured from the area and it was opened to the media about five hours after the blasts.
The wounded were taken to nearby military and civilian hospitals. An emergency was declared in hospitals across Lahore. The condition of over a dozen injured was described by officials as critical.
A senior police officer said the attackers first lobbed grenades at the soldiers before blowing themselves up.
Mosque, the target
“Perhaps their target was the mosque on Ahmed Bakhsh Road as it is frequented by retired and serving army officials. But they may have attacked the GSF vehicles on seeing them outside the mosque,” he said.
Officials of the bomb disposal squad were quoted by TV channels as saying that each bomber’s suicide jacket was packed with 10 kg of explosives and nuts, bolts and ball bearings. The squad also carried out the safe detonation of a device, triggering speculation about another explosion.
Bombers came by local bus
The two Taliban suicide bombers who targeted army vehicles within the cantonment in Lahore had apparently sneaked into the heavily guarded area by using a bus, PTI reports.
“Since all seven points leading into the cantonment are heavily guarded by the army and police personnel, hardly any private vehicle is allowed to enter the area without being thoroughly checked,” a source in the Crime Investigation Department said.
