At least six people, including four soldiers and two civilians, died and nearly 20 people got injured in a suicide bombing at Bedian Road in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday morning. The bombing, which took place around 7:15 am, targeted an army vehicle carrying security personnel and a census team.
Pictures from the blast site show a couple of vans and a motorcycle damaged due to the impact. Security sources said that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber but it still remains to be determined whether the attacker was on foot or was riding a motorcycle. The explosion led to a fire that engulfed the cars parked nearby.
"This was a suicide blast, however the amount of explosives used has yet to be determined," Punjab government spokesperson Malik Ahmad Khan told Geo News adding that the two civilians who died in the blast were a part of the census team. "It can safely be assumed that this census team and the security personnel with it were the target of the suicide bomber all along," Khan said.
"I was standing a hundred steps away from the incident. I called 112 [Emergency Ambulance Service] which reached the site 20 minutes later," an eyewitness told Geo News.
Rescue operation is currently underway at the site of the blast. The injured have been rushed to General Hospital and Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the city, local media reported. Three of the injured are believed to be critical. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation by rangers, army and police officials is underway.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences on the loss of lives in the suicide bombing. He also paid tribute to the army jawans "who were targeted while performing their duties during the national census." Sharif has instructed the concerned authorities to provide all the reuired assistance to the provincial government of Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the blast and directed the authorities to provide medical facilities to the injured. He has also sought a report of the blast.
