At least 10 killed and 30 injured as explosion rocks Pakistani city of Lahore
AT LEAST 10 people have been killed and 30 injured in a suspected suicide bombing in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
Chaos in Lahore market after explosion killing dozens
The attacker targeted protesters demonstrating outside the Punjab Provincial Assembly building in the heart of the eastern city.
Senior police officers are reported to be among the dead and wounded.
Graphic video shows the moment the blast occurred, sparking terror and chaos among the large group of chemists and pharma manufacturers were protesting against changes in drug policy.
Immediate aftermath of Lahore explosion
Punjab police spokesman Nayab Haider said: "Apparently it was a suicide blast but police are still investigating to know the exact nature of blast.
A spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, called the Reuters news agency claim responsibility for the attack.
The group had also claimed responsibility for an Easter Day bombing in Lahore last year that killed more than 70 people in a public park.
Chaos on the streets of Lahore after the city was rocked by an explosion
Security in Pakistan has vastly improved in recent years but Islamist groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State still pose a threat and have carried out mass attacks.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the attacks will not weaken Pakistan's resolve in fight against militancy.
He said: "We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us.
The Pakistani city of Lahore has been rocked by an explosion
A suspected suicide bomber has bought terror to the heart of Lahore
“Such cowardly acts cannot deter the resolve of the nation to stand against terrorism and our government is committed to root out this menace.”
Mr Sharif has directed Punjab Government to provide all possible assistance to the injured.