Lahore: A powerful blast ripped through a crowded market in Pakistan’s Lahore, killing at least two persons and wounding 28 others, police said. According to police, the blast took place near the Paan Mandi in the famous Anarkali market, where Indian commodities are sold. Lahore commissioner Muhammad Usman told reporters that two people were killed and 28 others injured in the blast claimed by a Baloch insurgent group. “It was a high explosive device targeting a crowded place to ensure maximum casualties,” he said.
The explosive device went off near the Paan Mandi when the market was crowded. Scores of people were wounded and videos on social media show that a few of them were lying in a pool of blood with severed limbs, police said. A good number of motorcycles and vendors’ stalls were also damaged in the blast that shattered windows of nearby shops and buildings.
The Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA), one of several ethnic insurgent groups active in the mineral-rich southwestern Balochistan province claimed responsibility for the blast. “We accept the responsibility for targeting the bank in Anarkali Bazaar Lahore. This attack targeted bank employees. A detailed statement will be issued later,” BNA spokesman Mureed Baloch said in a tweet. The BNA had earlier warned that it will target Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the region. PM Imran Khan condemned the blast and instructed authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.
He also sought a report from the Punjab government over the incident. Inspector general of police (Punjab) said all resources will be used to nab those behind this blast. “We are ascertaining the nature of the blast,” deputy inspector general police said. “The crater at the blast site indicated the possibility of a time device,” he said.
