At least 50 dead after bomb attack in Lahore park, Taliban claimed responsibility

Dawn
Sun, 27 Mar 2016 16:02 UTC

© Dawn

At least 50 people have been killed in a suicide attack in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park of Iqbal Town on Sunday evening. Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Salman Rafique confirmed the death toll. Edhi sources add that over 200 are injured.

Iqbal Town Superintendent Police Dr Muhammad Iqbal confirmed this was a suicide attack and took place at a children's park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present.

DIG Operations Captain (Retd) Muhammad Usman said the head of the suicide bomber has been recovered. Ball bearings have also been found at the site.

The area is a renowned residential area of Lahore. The blast was just outside the exit gate and a few feet (metres) away from the children's swings.

'Dead bodies everywhere'

Eye witnesses said there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park. An eyewitness, talking to DawnNews, said dead bodies and injured were on the ground everywhere.

"We took the injured to hospitals on rickshaws and taxis."

He said the crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

"The roads were also jammed and queues of vehicles could be seen till Moon Market."

'No security'

Many eyewitnesses said there was no security present in and around the park. A man, talking to DawnNews, said:

"The park is huge and has many entrance gates. There was almost negligible security personnel present there."

A Rescue 1122 spokesman confirmed that an emergency call was received at around 6:44pm and that over 20 ambulances reached the site.

An emergency has been declared at all government hospitals in the city, and a heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.

Comment:

Taliban has claimed responsibility

A Pakistan Taliban splinter group claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack.

"We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter," spokesperson for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaat ul Ahrar, Ehansullah Ehsan told The Express Tribune over telephone.

"It was part of the annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year," Ehsan said, adding the operation codenamed "Saut-ul-Raad" will continue this year.

"We had been waiting for this occasion," the TTP JA spokesperson said. "We want to convey to the ruling PML-N and the prime minister that we we have arrived in Punjab and we will reach you".

At least 69 people were killed and over 300 others injured in a deadly suicide explosion near the city's Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park on Sunday, rescue and security officials said.