45 people die as suicide and bomb attacks rock Pakistani city
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, March 13, IRNA -- Two suicide attacks and four low intensity blasts rocked Pakistan’s eastern Lahore city on Friday which killed some 45 people and injured upto 100 people, police said
Five soldiers were among those killed in two suicide attacks on army vehicles in heavily guarded army area in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, Inspector General Police Tariq Salim Dogar said.
He said that 95 people, including security personnel, were also injured in the two attacks.
Senior Superintendent Police Operation Chaudhry Shafiq said that the bombers on foot attacked army patrolling trucks in cantonment area.
Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attacks on army vehicles in telephone calls to local TV channels.
One bomber attacked a patrolling truck of the troops at 12:48 p.m., and the second bomber struck another vehicle of troops after three minutes, a witness Adnan Zaman, who filmed the second attack on mobile told reporters.
Late in the night five small blasts struck different places in Allama Iqbal town in Lahore, injuring several people. Car was used in one of the five blasts in the night, police said.
Another bomb exploded near the house of senior police officer Khalid Javed, according to police.
Police sources said that a man riding a motorcycle threw explosives in different locations in Allama Iqbal town residential areas, forcing the people to close down markets and patrol stations. Police said the small attacks were aimed at harassing the people.
The blasts created panic in the city and police made announcements asking the people to stay indoors. Police said that locally-made explosives were used for low intensity blasts to create panic.
The police in announcements through mosques loudspeakers to avoid approaching blasts sites as more blats can occur.
Lahore has seen big attacks on security personnel and police in recent weeks.
On March 8, a suicide attack struck the office of an investigation agency in Lahore, killing 16 people and injuring around 60.
Taliban had claimed responsibility for the March 8th attack on the office of Special Investigation Cell, where suspected militants were being interrogated.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the blast in Lahore and directed the law enforcement agencies to increase vigilance in order to protect the lives of citizens.
He also directed the provincial authorities to provide best medical care to the injured and condole with the families whose family members died in this cowardly act of terrorism, the Prime Minister office said.
"Such cowardly act of violence cannot deter the commitments of the people of Pakistan to eliminate terrorism," he said.
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End News / IRNA / News Code 1009010
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