Gunmen detonated a car bomb Wednesday near police and intelligence agency offices that collapsed one building and sheared the walls off others in one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan this year. About 30 people were killed and at least 250 wounded. Agents from the Inter-Services Intelligence agency were among the dead, a senior official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.
Sajjad Bhutta, a senior government official in Lahore, told reporters a car carrying several gunmen pulled up on a street between offices of the emergency police and the intelligence agency. "As some people came out from that vehicle and started firing at the ISI office, the guards from inside that building returned fire," he said. As the shooting continued, the car exploded, he said.
BR STAFF REPORTER HAMID NAWAZ ADDS: Colonel Amir Mirza Baig, Hafiz Nadeem, Shahzeb Khan, Kamran Arick and Muhammad Shafiq were among those who died in the attack. The Rescue-15 building collapsed in the attack by terrorists and the debris of second floor of the building fell on the first floor trapped the employees in the building.
The blast was so big that it was heard about 3 km away, and windowpanes of buildings were shattered in about one km diameter area. The explosion created panic among people and caused traffic jams in the area including traffic flow at the Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam (The Mall). The Mall Road plazas, shops and adjacent markets were closed immediately.
Police and Rangers and military personnel cordoned the area and did not allow people to enter the area. In the operation, explosives and a suicide jacket were found from the blast site and three suspects were arrested, including one who was injured during the firing incident.
Brigadier Zafar and army personnel who reached the spot denied any lapse of security measures and said that these were adequate otherwise it could have resulted in much more devastation. Rescue 1122, Edhi and ambulances from different hospitals rushed to the spot and shifted the injured persons promptly.
Emergency was declared in all city hospitals including Ganga Ram, Mayo, Services, General and Jinnah hospitals. Six bodies of policemen were shifted to Mayo Hospital and two bodies, which were beyond recognition, were put in the hospital. Around 150 injured have been hospitalised in Mayo Hospital.
Eight bodies were shifted to Ganga Ram hospital along with 110 injured. Three bodies and 30 injured were shifted to Services Hospital, while Jinnah Hospital received four injured only. Police sources confirmed that more than 40 policemen were on duty in the 15 Rescue building when the blast occurred. A huge operation was started to recover bodies and rescue the injured.
The injured were shifted to different hospitals of the city where medical aid was provided to them. The Lahore District Government has appealed to the people to donate blood for suicide attack victims, and police imposed ban on hospitals from discharging suicide attack victims. Police sources said they would be released after investigation.
People rushed to hospitals for donating blood and to see their beloved hospitalised there. Hospitals immediately placed the lists of the injured persons and the dead.
According to police, five persons, riding a van, broke the barrier of the two-storey Emergency-15 building at Queens Road at about 10.20 am and resorted to firing. Next moment they rammed the 100-kg explosives' laden vehicle into the building.
As a result, the building was destroyed. A thick smoke clouded the blast site and dust was raised to about hundred feet from the building. Adjacent building of security agency, office of CCPO, a petrol pump, car show rooms and Lahore Zoo also suffered severe damage and 15 vehicles were destroyed. Explosive material weighing 100 kilograms was used in the incident that created 15 feet deep and 17 feet wide crater at the spot.
Windowpanes of buildings including Chief Minister Office, Punjab Assembly Hall, office of Health Minister, Transport House, Wapda House, PIA office, Aiwan-e-Iqbal, SNGPL head office, Lahore Chamber, Plaza Cinema, banks, hotels, Nawa-e-Waqat building, Aaj TV office, shops on The Mall and nearby houses were shattered.
Machines were being used to recover people trapped under the debris. Six terrorists were involved in the suicide attack, of whom one was arrested after trading fire. Security sources said that police teams had arrested a suspect from the site of the blast.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has issued orders to Rescue-1122 to expedite the rescue and relief activities. He also directed the law enforcing authorities to take stringent measures to make impregnable security arrangements across the province including Lahore.
GOC Lahore Major General Shafqat Ahmed presided over a meeting in which Deputy Director General Rangers, CCPO Lahore and other high officials reviewed law and order situation after the blast. To investigate the incident a joint investigation team has been constituted headed by Additional Inspector General (Investigation) Zafar Majeed with IB, ISI and MI officials.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the suicide bomb attack and ordered inquiry. He said that the perpetrators of such heinous crime would not be spared. He expressed condolence over the loss of innocent lives and said that the government was committed to root out terrorism from the country. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemning Lahore bomb blast and said that those involved in such attacks were enemies of state and would be brought to justice.
Meanwhile, strong condemnation of the Lahore suicide bomb blast from other political and religious leaders kept pouring in, which included PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, CM Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rahman Malik, ANP leader Asfandyar Wali, PPP's Fauzia Wahab, PML-Q's chief Shujaat, Pervaiz Ellahi, Senator Sajid Mir, JI Amir Munawwar Hassan, Tahrik-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, JUI leader Fazlur Rahman, Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad.
Provincial Law Minister Sanaullah, Punjab Minister Riaz, Education Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, MNA Bilal Yasin, Brigadier Zafar, SSP Operation Lahore Shafiq Ahmed and DCO Lahore Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and other high ups of different agencies reached the spot after the incident. Health Minister Mujtaba Shauja-ur-Rehman, Law Minister Sanaullah, Minister Riaz, Senator Zakia Shahnaz, DCO Lahore and others visited the hospitals. Besides, two deer and a peacock also died while four zoo employees were injured.